Reimagining the poetry of B.W. Vilakazi as the social tool for 'ukuxwayisa' (deterrent) and protest

Abstract

This study consists of two parts. The first part was the creative writing component (poetry portfolio) which entailed a manuscript of forty-five isiZulu poems written by the researcher of this study/project. The poems found in the creative component dealt with several themes; among them were themes on culture, Ubuntu, love, awareness, protest, and nature. These themes resemble the themes found in the poetry of B.W. Vilakazi. The title of the creative component, ‘Iziyalo’ (to raise awareness and rebuke), speaks to the dissertation. The creative component was aimed at warning and alerting society about critical social matters and protest. For example, the poem, ‘Makholwa’ (Believers), is critiquing how churchgoers/believers conduct themselves in places such as churches, at weddings, in terms of family affairs, and at funerals.

The second part of this study was the mini-dissertation wherein the study analysed selected poems from the two anthologies of B.W. Vilakazi, namely Inkondlo kaZulu (1935) and Amal’ezulu (1945). The dissertation examined the poetry of B.W. Vilakazi as a social tool for ‘ukuxwayisa’ (deterrent) and protest. The emphasis was on the term ‘ukuxwayisa’ thus it is the only one translated in the title while the term ‘protest’ is not translated into isiZulu. This was aimed at showing the reader that there is a link between ‘Iziyalo’ and ‘ukuxwayisa’. The term ‘Iziyalo’ was used for the poetry portfolio and the term ‘ukuxwayisa’ for the mini-dissertation. Therefore, this shows that there is a synergy between the poetry portfolio and the mini-dissertation. Most of the poems found in the poetry portfolio and in both poetry collections of B.W. Vilakazi carry the same message, which is to rebuke society. The poems analysed in the mini-dissertation incorporated several themes, among which were protest poetry, culture, tradition, Western influence and the influence of the Romantic poets in Vilakazi’s poetry. Moreover, this study found that B.W. Vilakazi was inspired by the ancestral spirits to become a poet (imbongi yesizwe). He was a traditional and cultural poet who never wanted to lose himself. For instance, when he arrived in Johannesburg, he was not happy to be in the city. He missed his rural life. Moreover, B.W. Vilakazi was the voice of the voiceless because he was advocating for the rights and dignity of black people in the mines and in society. Furthermore, the study ascertained that Vilakazi’s poetry was influenced by the Romantic poets. This is evident in his poem entitled ‘kwaDedangendlale’ (‘In the Valley of a Thousand Hills’). Furthermore, there is a synergy between some poems found in the collection (poetry portfolio) and the poetry of B.W. Vilakazi which were analysed in the mini-dissertation. Both the poetry portfolio and B.W. Vilakazi’s poetry share themes which speak to protest poetry, nature, love, culture and traditions.

Benedict Wallet Vilakazi was not just an ordinary writer but the pioneer of isiZulu modern poetry and literature. Vilakazi was the first to write and publish modern Zulu poetry. This study's main aim was to analyse the poetry of Benedict Wallet Vilakazi with a focus on what was happening in the country at the time of his writing and how his poetry remains relevant in our contemporary times. The main argument of this study was that his poetry reveals a man who lived in two worlds: that is, the world of African tradition and that of Western influence.