SYMBOLS AND IMAGES AS POETIC TECHNIQUES IN SOUTH AFRICAN

SYMBOLS AND IMAGES AS POETIC TECHNIQUES IN SOUTH AFRICAN POETRY, THE EXAMPLE OF DENNIS BRUTUS AND OSWALD MBUYISENI MTSHALI

ABSTRACT

This study examines the use of symbols and images as poetic techniques in South African poetic writing. The poems seek to address the issues of socio-political injustice, apartheid, oppression and man’s inhumanity to man in the society, a kind of counter – attacking the apartheid system of the South African society, which allows for inequalities and abject poverty of a section of the society while the other section thrives in affluence. At the end we discover how Dennis Brutus and Oswald Mtshali expose the terrible state of affairs in South Africa through their revolutionary implantation of symbols and images.

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Biography of Dennis Brutus and Oswald Mtshali

1.3 Purpose of the Study

1.4 Justification of the Study

1.5 Scope and Limitation of the Study

1.6 Methodology

End notes

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Poetry as a Societal Outlook

2.2 The Sociological Approach

2.3 Apartheid in South African

End Notes

CHAPTER THREE:

(A) Symbols and Images as Poetic Techniques in the

Poem of Dennis Brutus “a Troubadour I Traverse”

End Notes

(B) Symbols and Images as Poetic Techniques in the

Poems of Oswald Mtshali

End Notes

CHAPTER FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

4.1 Summary

4.2 Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendices

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Symbolism is the use of symbols to represent ideas, this literary device is used by poets to create a mental picture in the mind of readers, it is also used to widen their reasoning faculties see Northrop Frye “Anatomy of criticism” (1957) describes four types of symbol i.e Symbol as an image, a metaphor, a sign and it representation of an idea, this work is based on the symbolic image on Frye (1957) with reference to the sociological archetypes used by the selected poets. An image is a mental representation of anything not actually presented to the senses but which appeal to our senses through words. Thus we often speak of “seeing” something in the “minds” “eye” some times we may run over a tune in our mind. Writers of poetry always write with cryptic expressions to coach their themes, poetry is one of the most difficult genres of literature because of its use of symbols and other literary devices. The use of symbol makes poetry not easily accessible by readers, according to Sam Adewoye (1988):

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE PROJECT MATERIAL