Mathias E. Mnyampala (1917-1969) et la construction nationale tanzanienne: Vol. 1: Définitions de la poésie d'expression swahilie. (French Edition)

About this Research This publication constitutes the first volume of a doctoral dissertation in African Studies, specializing in Swahili language and literature. It corresponds to the section dedicated to the metric analysis of classical Swahili poetry.

Theoretical Framework and Methodology A formal analysis tool is defined based on available data, aiming to address the extraordinary heterogeneity of existing theoretical frameworks. Some authors, primarily writing in Swahili, perceive a quantitative syllabic foundation for Swahili metrics called “vina na mizani,” while others view it as accentual (similar to English). Still, others associate it with syllable length (similar to Arabic classical poetry), allowing for the possibility of mixed metrical systems (accentual/quantitative syllabic).

The goal of this research is to bring order and identify the actual poetic creation principles used by Swahili authors, exploring how they manipulate these parameters to create new genres.

Findings on Swahili Metrics By thoroughly examining the theories and their corresponding data, we observe that Swahili poetry aligns strictly with Bantu linguistics. It relies on quantitative syllabic metrics (rhymes and syllable count), precisely as asserted by Swahili poets themselves. Accents play a role at a micro-level (within the syllable-quantified line of a verse), but theories about rhythmical feet do not align well with the raw data—i.e., the poems chanted, sung, or read in Swahili—when cross-checked and fact-checked using sound analysis software.

Ultimately, this volume raises a critical epistemological question: Why have these Swahili-speaking poets been marginalized or silenced by academia when describing the rules of their own art?