ðɪ ˈɜːlɪɪst pˈoʊɪtɹi ɪz bᵻlˈiːvd tə hɐvbɪn ɹᵻsˈaɪɾᵻd ɔːɹ sˈʌŋ, ɛmplˈɔɪd æz ɐ wˈeɪ ʌv ɹᵻmˈɛmbɚɹɪŋ ˈoːɹəl hˈɪstɚɹi, dʒˌiːnɪˈælədʒi, ænd lˈɔː.
The earliest poetry is believed to have been recited or sung, employed as a way of remembering oral history, genealogy, and law.