Oral-Formulaic Theory: Annotated Bibliography

W. Edson Richmond. "Narrative Folk Poetry." In Folklore and Folklife: An Introduction. Ed. Richard M. Dorson. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 85-98.

Distinguishes in general terms between folk poems, which may be imitated in written form, and a living oral tradition of poetry. Feels that, crossculturally, "narrative folk songs concentrate on a single episode, develop their stories dramatically, and are impersonal in their approach to their subject matter" (p. 86). After sketching various structural features and a short history of fieldwork and analytic scholarship, he notes the contribution of Parry and Lord.
Area: BR, SC, NW, CP