Final answer:
Marshall McLuhan's 'The Gutenberg Galaxy' is essential for understanding the transition from oral to print culture, as it offers historical context for the characteristics of oral traditions and how they contrast with the changes introduced by the printing press.
Step-by-step explanation:
“The Gutenberg Galaxy”, by Marshall McLuhan, is a key text when considering the transition in societies from oral to print cultures. Its relevance to the study of oral composition lies in the way it complements the understanding of how literacy and the arrival of the printing press, attributed to Johannes Gutenberg, transformed human cognition and social organization. McLuhan's work suggests that the printed word created an emphasis on linear thinking and individualism, which contrasted with the communal and participatory aspects of oral traditions. Hence, understanding the diachronic shifts in communication presented in “The Gutenberg Galaxy” offers context for how oral poetry and storytelling operated before the dominance of print and how these forms continue to inform literary practices.
In discussing the significance of oral poetry, scholars like Ruth H. Finnegan and Francis P. Magoun, Jr. have highlighted the inherent characteristics of oral cultures, such as the use of repetitive formulas, which allowed for the preservation and transmission of stories prior to the invention of writing. Their works become even more meaningful when juxtaposed with McLuhan’s examination of the societal shifts ushered in by the printing press. The study of Gutenberg's printing technology then enhances our comprehension of the pre-literate world and offers a contrast to the fluid and dynamic nature of oral traditions. This complimentary relationship enriches the scholarship in oral composition by providing a historical framework for the evolution of textuality from oral to print media.