Yoruba-Ondo Proverbs: A Study of Themes, Functions and Poetic Devices

This book examines some salient features of Ondo proverbs with special emphasis on the literary aspects by delving into the themes, functions and poetic devices which are also found in contemporary literature. According to a Malian proverb "when an old man dies, it is like setting a whole library on fire and burning it down." Being a very significant aspect of Ondo culture, the book aims at preserving this aspect of the people's culture as source material for pareomiographers, linguists, historians, educationists, psychologists, anthropologists and indeed for posterity before they are consigned to oblivion by technological invasion. Furthermore the book provides a tool for improving our thinking and know how in certain areas of Ondo people's life, such as educating the youths on values and norms of the society. It is hoped that this book will place the oral literature of Ondo among world literature and also encourage researchers to investigate other areas of Ondo oral literature.