The African poetry has taken all sorts of forms, from very long epic stories, to very short expressions. It has also been expressed in all African and foreign languages. Something remarkable about poetry from the East African Coast is that it can be recited in speech form or sung. (musical)

Originally, poems were composed in praise of the kings and chiefs who employed the artists to perform in their courts. Beside poetry had other social themes like love, betrayal, death etc.

Before the formal education in Africa, non of these pieces of art was ever written. It was orally passed down from one generation to the next. When the Africans learnt how to write, their first published poems were in praise of and in the languages of their colonial masters.

Later came the Negritudists with their philosophy of self affirmation.

To the French who said "you are different from us until you have fully assimilated our language and culture and then can be accepted, at least in theory as equals," the Negritudists replied. "Yes we are different and vive la difference. Even our French education makes us no less African and our Africanness no less equal."

With this realization, the Africans then led by Leopold Sedar Senghor and David Diop turned back for their oral literature. Many followed suite and started publishing in their native languages, then later translated it in other language.

Some famous names in this field are

• Okot PBitek
• Shaban Robert
• Wole Soyinka
• ChinuAchebe