African poetry is as rich and diverse as the continent itself. Initially conveyed orally from one generation to the next, some of its earliest examples have been preserved in this manner for centuries. From the umusizi w’Umwami court poets of Rwanda, to the Kwadwumfo poets of the Akan tribe in Ghana, to oriki poetry among the Yoruba, to Izibongo among the Zulu and Xhosa people, to the Nzakara poets of Sudan, poetry has been used for functional, occasional, and political reasons. Largely oral and passed down from one generation to another through word of mouth, traditional African poetry has survived centuries.
The 10 Best African Poems of All Time
