Audience, context and function

This chapter explores the complex relationship between oral poetry and its audience, highlighting how context and audience significantly shape the function and meaning of oral performances. It begins by acknowledging the parallels between oral and written poetry in terms of their societal roles, emphasizing that broad, abstract debates about poetry's reflection of or impact on society can lead to frustration. Instead, the chapter suggests that focusing on specific occasions of oral performance and the nature of the audience provides more insight into the immediate effects and purposes of oral poetry.
The chapter goes on to categorize various types of audiences involved in oral performances, ranging from participatory to specialist and passive listeners. It stresses that the audience's participation or reaction can deeply influence both the form and the delivery of a poem, as well as its broader social and cultural effects. Furthermore, the chapter highlights how oral poetry serves a multitude of functions—from reinforcing group solidarity in communal work or protest songs to offering personal reflection in solitary performances. Through these analyses, the chapter underlines the importance of considering audience and context in understanding the full impact and purpose of oral poetry in different societies.