ABSTRACT
Studies on the literary activities of Nana Asma'u are shallowly exposed. This is despite her immense significance to the Uthman bin Fodio 18th century Jihad reform period to the full understanding of literary activities in indigenous languages in the Northern States of Nigeria. This study, therefore, is an exploration of the style and content of the poetry of Nana Asma'u bint Fodio. In other words, the study examines culture and society in the poetry of Nana Asma'u. The study has appendices of a selection of Nana Asma'u's poems and is divided into five chapters . The first, chapter provides an introduction to Nana Asma'u, her family, her life history, her matrimonial home and the origins of her literary activities. Chapter two is a literature review on the poetry and significance of Nana Asma'u. Chapter three is a literary appreciation of the form of her elegies while chapter four studies Nana Asma'u's injunctionary poems. Chapter five contains the general conclusions reached after studying the poetry, the culture and society of Nana Asma'u bint Fodio.