Abstract:
The Afrikaans poet, playwright and intellectual N.P. van Wyk Louw (1906-1970) wrote extensively about
nature and landscape in his creative work as well as his contemplative essays. These topics occur in different
forms in both genres. Louw had very specific perspectives on nature and landscape, which received
noteworthy attention in his poems and plays. These perspectives changed in the later part of his life. This is
evident in his poems and his occasional drama Berei in die woestyn: ’n Sinne- en wa-spel [Prepared in the
desert: A senses and wagon play], which he wrote for the Year of the Soil in 1968. In this play the author fell
into step with the growing international awareness about environmental issues. However, critics have not
properly investigated his changed perspective.
