On Tongan Poetry by I Futa Helu

ISBN: 978-0-9922453-0-6
100PP

This book collects six essays in which the late Tongan intellectual ‘I. Futa Helu considers the traditional poetry of his country. As well as guiding readers through the long and intricate history of Tongan verse, the polymathic Helu offers a series of fascinating asides on subjects like the evolution of language, the seafaring exploits of ancient Polynesians, the impact of Christianity on Tonga, and the lessons that English literary giants like Wordsworth and Blake could have learned from their Tongan counterparts.