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Rhetoric and Meaning in Poetry: The Case of Zambia
Moffat Moyo
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2014.11.005
University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
This paper aims at showing how rhetoric and meaning in Zambian poetry interact. The work analyses the definition of poetry and gives the understanding that poetry is an artistic use of language that employs figurative language for maximum effect. The work also analyses rhetoric and concludes that the sole aim of rhetoric is to persuade the audience. The use of this rhetoric is later identified as a preoccupation of most poets. After studying a number of rhetorical devices used in poetry, the work has studied selected Zambian poems and focussed on the use of rhyme and alliteration in the poems. It has been shown that there is much use of rhyme but with limited use of alliteration. In both cases, the use is not so much to the contribution to the meaning in the poetry. The poets usually use these devices for the sake of beauty and not meaning. The paper therefore suggests that poets could undergo some formal training in composition while the art is also taught to the young while in their early years in schools.
rhetoric, meaning, Zambian poetry, figurative language
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