The Theory Oral Composition

The Theory of Oral Composition presents a history of the field of oral-formulaic theory. Foley examines the roots of the theory in 19th-century philology and anthropology, documents the contributions of Milman Parry and Albert Lord, measures the effects of Lord's comparative extensions through the impact of The Singer of Tales, and considers important other contributions.

John Miles Foley

John Miles Foley is William H. Byler Chair in the Humanities, Curators' Professor of Classical Studies and English, and the director of the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition at the University of Missouri at Columbia. He is the author or editor of twenty books, including How to Read an Oral Poem.