Fragments and Meaning in Traditional Song
From the Blues to the Baltic
ISBN13: 9780197262887ISBN10: 0197262880
Hardback,
280 pages
Sep 2003,
In Stock
Price:
$85.00 (06)See more from the series
Description
This is a study of very short songs: pieces long perceived as 'fragments' or remnants of longer narrative texts, and dismissed as the by-products of a degenerative oral tradition. Coverage includes English, Welsh, Breton, American, and Finnish songs. The authors argue that the inherently metaphorical and connotative idiom of traditional song makes external critical notions of 'completeness' inappropriate: in practice, such pieces are rarely felt to be broken or lacking by those who sing them - they have a strong metonymic force. A wide range of texts and traditions texts and traditions is explored to suggest how short songs may convey meaning both in performance and in non-traditional contexts such as the literary novel.Features
- Takes a radical approach to the study of traditional songs
- Coverage includes English, Welsh, Breton, American, and Finnish songs
Reviews
"It is a tribute to the authors' vision and tenacity, as well as the patience of their partners, that Fragments and Meaning has come to fruition as a source of insight and information, an inspiration to scholars seeking to understand better the meaning of song."-Thomas A. McKean, Journal of American Folklore
About the Author(s)
Mary-Ann Constantine, Senior Research Fellow, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, and Gerald Porter, Adjunct Professor of English Literature and Culture, University of Umea, Sweden
with a Foreword by Barre Toelken
