r/LearnSomali • u/Accomplished_Lime139 • 26d ago
Suggestions Tips for learning music & poetry
I’m going to start being really intentional about learning Somali and speaking it in general, as my speaking skills have really started to decline. I don’t think this is something I’ll have much difficulty accomplishing once I put consistent effort into it as I was fluent in early childhood.
However, I didn’t really grow up paying attention to the music my mom would play and especially not listening to the poetry, so I’m not sure how I’ll learn to bridge the gaps there. Somali music I’m a bit more confident with because for many songs, once I actually read the lyrics I can understand most of the messaging. It gets kind of tricky when they start being metaphorical & using other literary devices, but for the most part if I analyze what’s being said it’s not too bad. But I don’t think I’ll ever understand the classical poetry, which is a shame because I’d love to tap into it. It basically feels like an entirely different language. Any tips for understanding the music when I hear it (instead of my current level where I have to read and analyze to understand the lyrics) & especially the poetry better?