English 220
South African Poetry
Lecture 1: focus on black women’s poetry from 1910s-1920s
Poetry in context:
- SA sociopolitical & historical context shapes form & content of poem
Idea of blackness:
- Idea of who constitutes black person is still contested
- Proposed that idea of blackness is based on shared set of values
1. Africa: My Native Land:
Adelaide Tantsi:
- Came from family that adopted early conversion to Christianity & missionary education
- Marries into black political, elite family
Discussion:
- Response to 1913 Land Act
- Uses formal language: indicative of style of poetry taught in colonial education
- Structure: each stanza is building an argument
- First 2 stanzas talk about history of ancestors
- Change in tone “but alas”
- Poem ends off on political tone that proposes question of freedom
2. Maibuye! Afrika! Awu!:
Nontsizi Mgqwetho:
- Wrote in isiXhosa
- Emerges as writer of “Abantu Batho”: precursor to ANC
- Subversive in poetry
- Questions religion
1
, - Involved in political climate @ time
- Participated in protests
- Christian woman
- Used poetry as way to suggest mobilization of black people
- Uses newspaper to resist marginality: able to bring into being larger audience, allows her to be
creative in poetry, able to challenge patriarchy
- Uses her own name, as opposed to pseudonym
-
Discussion:
- Significance of title: notion of “come back Africa” that carried though African campaigns in
response to colonial system
- How do you restore yourself after loss of land & subjugation faced
- Idea that Africa hasn’t gone anywhere: how do you remake yourself within this context
- Role of Christianity in oppression of black people: however, they were already aware of word of
God
- Have own African beliefs that aligned with bible: Christianity is not new discovery for them
- Uses Christianity against itself: turns it from oppressionist tool to liberation tool
3. The Morning Sun is Shining:
Olive Schreiner:
- Was in conversation with lives of black people who were advocating against harsh political &
social climate under colonization
- Inquired about what it meant to be educated black person under given circumstances
Discussion:
- Read in Adelaide’s reflection of land
- Romantic view of land without any politics: Romanticism (white writing)
Lecture 2: focus on black women’s poetry from 1940s-1960s
Historically charged period:
- 1948= NP came into power
- 1960= Sharpeville massacre
- 1940s= establishment of ANC women’s league
2
South African Poetry
Lecture 1: focus on black women’s poetry from 1910s-1920s
Poetry in context:
- SA sociopolitical & historical context shapes form & content of poem
Idea of blackness:
- Idea of who constitutes black person is still contested
- Proposed that idea of blackness is based on shared set of values
1. Africa: My Native Land:
Adelaide Tantsi:
- Came from family that adopted early conversion to Christianity & missionary education
- Marries into black political, elite family
Discussion:
- Response to 1913 Land Act
- Uses formal language: indicative of style of poetry taught in colonial education
- Structure: each stanza is building an argument
- First 2 stanzas talk about history of ancestors
- Change in tone “but alas”
- Poem ends off on political tone that proposes question of freedom
2. Maibuye! Afrika! Awu!:
Nontsizi Mgqwetho:
- Wrote in isiXhosa
- Emerges as writer of “Abantu Batho”: precursor to ANC
- Subversive in poetry
- Questions religion
1
, - Involved in political climate @ time
- Participated in protests
- Christian woman
- Used poetry as way to suggest mobilization of black people
- Uses newspaper to resist marginality: able to bring into being larger audience, allows her to be
creative in poetry, able to challenge patriarchy
- Uses her own name, as opposed to pseudonym
-
Discussion:
- Significance of title: notion of “come back Africa” that carried though African campaigns in
response to colonial system
- How do you restore yourself after loss of land & subjugation faced
- Idea that Africa hasn’t gone anywhere: how do you remake yourself within this context
- Role of Christianity in oppression of black people: however, they were already aware of word of
God
- Have own African beliefs that aligned with bible: Christianity is not new discovery for them
- Uses Christianity against itself: turns it from oppressionist tool to liberation tool
3. The Morning Sun is Shining:
Olive Schreiner:
- Was in conversation with lives of black people who were advocating against harsh political &
social climate under colonization
- Inquired about what it meant to be educated black person under given circumstances
Discussion:
- Read in Adelaide’s reflection of land
- Romantic view of land without any politics: Romanticism (white writing)
Lecture 2: focus on black women’s poetry from 1940s-1960s
Historically charged period:
- 1948= NP came into power
- 1960= Sharpeville massacre
- 1940s= establishment of ANC women’s league
2
