Oceanian literature

Another major influence in Oceanian society was its intricate oral tradition. For a long time, most Oceanian literature was not written down. As a result, stock formulas and rhyming were used in many works (these traits made it easier to memorize). Gods, creation myths, and spirits are also prominent in Oceanian literature, showcasing again the influence oral tradition had on the literature of Oceania.

Modern Oceanian literature is mainly written in the English language but also feature different languages and speech. The literatures of Oceania, particularly during the return to many island nations’ independence in the 1960s and 1970s, were often strongly political and invested in finding literary expression for new independent, interconnected Pacific lives. Oceanian writers drew on a wide, translational pool of references, with African, American, European and Indian literatures often productively woven into their texts. The ocean carries a lot of symbolism and meaning to the cultures and people that have travelled through, in which largely has impacted the literary cultures and historical narratives in Oceania.

List of countries and territories

• American Samoan literature
• Australian literature
• Christmas Islander literature
• Cocos (Keeling) Islander literature
• Cook Islands literature
• Easter Islander literature
• Fijian literature
• French Polynesian literature
• Guamanian literature
• Hawaiian literature
• I-Kiribati literature
• Marshall Islander literature
• Micronesian literature
• Nauruan literature
• New Caledonian literature
• New Zealand literature
• Niuean literature
• Norfolk Islander literature
• Northern Mariana Islander literature
• Palauan literature
• Papua New Guinean literature
• Pitcairn Islander literature
• Samoan literature
• Solomon Islands literature
• Tokelauan literature
• Tongan literature
• Tuvaluan literature
• Vanuatuan literature
• Wallis and Futuna Islander literature