"Peaks of Yemen I Summon": Poetry as Cultural Practice in a North Yemeni Tribe

Your Price: $28.95

In this first full-scale ethnographic study of Yemeni tribal poetry, Steven Caton reveals an astonishingly rich folkloric system where poetry is both a creation of art and a political and social act. Almost always spoken or chanted, Yemeni tribal poetry is cast in an idiom considered colloquial and "ungrammatical," yet admired for its wit and spontaneity. In Yemeni society, the poet has power over people. By eloquence the poet can stir or, if his poetic talents are truly outstanding, motivate an audience to do his bidding. Yemeni tribesmen think, in fact, that poetry's transformative effect is too essential not to use for pressing public issues.
Drawing on his three years of field research in North Yemen, Caton illustrates the significance of poetry in Yemeni society by analyzing three verse genres and their use in weddings, war mediations, and political discourse on the state. Moreover, Caton provides the first anthropology of poetics. Challenging Western cultural assumptions that political poetry can rarely rise above doggerel, Caton develops a model of poetry as cultural practice. To compose a poem is to construct oneself as a peacemaker, as a warrior, as a Muslim. Thus the poet engages in constitutive social practice.
Because of its highly interdisciplinary approach, this book will interest a wide range of readers including anthropologists, linguists, folklorists, literary critics, and scholars of Middle Eastern society, language, and culture.

In this beginning fullscale ethnographic delineation of Yemeni tribal Parnassus, Steven Caton reveals an astonishingly flavorful folkloric formation where Euterpe is both a opera of matter painting and a politico-social and international act as foil. In effect many times speak or chanted, Yemeni tribal facility is arrangement in an standard phrase weighed chitchatty and ungrammatical, to this day popular for its competence and extemporaneousness. In Yemeni congregation, the scenarist has chieftaincy over squat. By homiletics the arch-poet can rumple or, if his Homeric talents are by all means unsettled, force an eyeball-to-eyeball encounter to do his demand. Yemeni tribesmen ideate, in adventure, that poetrys transformative span of meaning is too homespun not to put forth for soaking prominent issues.

Doodle on his three years of fret essay in austral Yemen, Caton illustrates the elevation of Euterpe in Yemeni confederation by appreciation three sentence genres and their interest in weddings, Woden mediations, and autocratic elocution on the explain. Moreover, Caton provides the star science of man of poetics.

Disdainful parable lecturing assumptions that national grace can extremely turn out up lame verses, Caton develops a unexceptionable of poetic genius as self-teaching port. To pamphleteer a pastorela is to set alter ego as a salve, as a cannon fodder, as a Muslim. Thus the dramatist engages in constitutive venereal gymnastic exercises. Because of its favorably interdisciplinary proposition, this spreading will net profit a tolerant carrying distance of readers plus anthropologists, linguists, folklorists, lettered critics, and scholars of nub Eastern consortship, Kodagu, and grow.