Answer:
Oral literature refers to the wide range of literary forms and traditions that are transmitted orally from one generation to the next. The styles employed in oral literature include several distinctive features, some of which are:
1. Repetition: Repetition is a fundamental characteristic of oral literature. It involves repeated use of words, phrases, clauses, or even entire sections of a work.
2. Rhythm: Rhythm is an essential element of oral literature that creates a sense of musicality in the work. It includes various patterns of meter, syllable count, and intonation to create a particular sound and rhythm.
3. Formulaic language: Many narratives in oral literature employ formulaic language, including stock phrases, metaphors, and proverbs that are used repeatedly to convey certain ideas and themes.
4. Performance: Oral literature is closely tied to performance. These works are often intended to be recited or sung aloud by a skilled performer, who imbues the work with their unique interpretation, intonation, and emotion.
5. Characterization: Characters in oral literature are often emphasized through physical descriptions and specific qualities or traits they possess.
6. Imagery: Imagery is a potent feature of oral literature that brings sensory details to life for the audience. It involves the use of language and figurative devices like simile and metaphor to create vivid mental pictures in the minds of the listeners.
Overall, these styles employed in oral literature serve to enhance communication between the speaker and listener, evoke emotions, paint rich images in the listener's mind and make such literary pieces memorable over time.