die tweegeveg (the duel)
Breytenbach, Breyten
Context
Breyten Bach is one of the biggest poets in Afrikaans. He has won many national
and international awards and is held in high regard around the world.
“die tweegeveg” (“the duel”) is a playful and sonorous (rich in sound) description
of a sword fight, but it also has another level that is deeper than what one thinks at
first reading. This duel also describes a poets struggle with sounds and expression
of his feelings in language. This fight continues until the opponent silences him by
inserting a sword through the poets “larynx”, the part of the throat that produces
sound.
The last line suggests that it is not a real sword fight, because the speaker is not
dead, he remains talk. The end suggests that his opponent has won and that the
poet throws in the towel (gives up).
Analysis:
alliterasie L4 - “stywer om sy skouers” (tightly round its shoulders)
(alliteration)
Tema The struggle to express feelings/emotions in language.
(theme)
Stemming Outer: “vrye vers” – The poem is a free verse with no
(appearance) fixed rhyme pattern or rhythm. Repetition of sounds
occurs in the sound imitation of the duel.
Inner: The poem describes a duel and there is
progression in time and events.
Titel “die tweegeveg”- the duel
(title) The title shows that this is a struggle and the reader can
use his prior knowledge of a duel to visualize the
background.
Strofe 1 Line 1: vergelyking (similie) “Die vaandels roer soos
(stanza 1) flou donkies in die wind” (The banners move like weak
donkeys in the wind.)
Line 1: aliterasie (alliteration) – v/f sound - vaandels /
flou
Line 2: Personifikasie met s-aliterasie (Personification
with s-alliteration) “En die son trek sy wolke stywer om
sy skouers” (And the sun draws its clouds more tightly
round its shoulders)
Breytenbach, Breyten
Context
Breyten Bach is one of the biggest poets in Afrikaans. He has won many national
and international awards and is held in high regard around the world.
“die tweegeveg” (“the duel”) is a playful and sonorous (rich in sound) description
of a sword fight, but it also has another level that is deeper than what one thinks at
first reading. This duel also describes a poets struggle with sounds and expression
of his feelings in language. This fight continues until the opponent silences him by
inserting a sword through the poets “larynx”, the part of the throat that produces
sound.
The last line suggests that it is not a real sword fight, because the speaker is not
dead, he remains talk. The end suggests that his opponent has won and that the
poet throws in the towel (gives up).
Analysis:
alliterasie L4 - “stywer om sy skouers” (tightly round its shoulders)
(alliteration)
Tema The struggle to express feelings/emotions in language.
(theme)
Stemming Outer: “vrye vers” – The poem is a free verse with no
(appearance) fixed rhyme pattern or rhythm. Repetition of sounds
occurs in the sound imitation of the duel.
Inner: The poem describes a duel and there is
progression in time and events.
Titel “die tweegeveg”- the duel
(title) The title shows that this is a struggle and the reader can
use his prior knowledge of a duel to visualize the
background.
Strofe 1 Line 1: vergelyking (similie) “Die vaandels roer soos
(stanza 1) flou donkies in die wind” (The banners move like weak
donkeys in the wind.)
Line 1: aliterasie (alliteration) – v/f sound - vaandels /
flou
Line 2: Personifikasie met s-aliterasie (Personification
with s-alliteration) “En die son trek sy wolke stywer om
sy skouers” (And the sun draws its clouds more tightly
round its shoulders)
