Abstract:
In this dissertation the three poems Lehu, Polokong written by Ratlabala and Matsoba by Lentsoane, are compared. Thematically they deal with life that triumphs over death, while the topics that are addressed, vary, namely death, at a funeral, and flowers respectively. In a literary sense the poems are compared in respect of (a) content, (b) composition, and (c) stylistic finish, which means that an adapted narratological model of description is used for this purpose. Additionally the three poems are described according to their metric composition. The content of the poems differs altogether. In Lehu death is described as having no respect for human beings, but rather deprives them of life in a cruel way. In Polokong the death of a beloved old farmer is described, while Lentsoane talks about the beauty of flowers in Matsoba. Structurally these three poems are composed in exactly the same manner, and each one consists of an image and an application, which consequently assimilates them with the sonnet. In this way the author emphasises the message or theme by means of which he reports satirically about the powerlessness of death over human. Stylistically the finishing of Lehu and Matsoba agrees with the newspaper report in which the author reports impersonally and abstractly about the respective topics and the surrounding issues. Polokong, on the other hand, is strongly loaded emotionally, and the author is successful in winning the reader over to share in his sadness caused by the death of the old farmer. From this determines its success. Between these three poems Polokong is therefore the only work which is a convincing literary work. According to verse technique, Lehu and Matsoba are free verses, while metrically the composition of Polokong is more rigid. These metrical characteristics have also been taken into consideration regarding the stylistic interpretation of the poems, and have therefore been applied as a stylisticum. The concepts which have been used in this investigation, as well as the method of investigation and the model of description that is used, are described in detail. Each argument is concluded with a relevant summary so that the argumentation is clear and fully comprehensible. The most important findings are summarised concisely and are highlighted in the final chapter.
