Volume, power, originality: reassessing the complexities of soweto poetry

Penfold, Tom 2015. Volume, power, originality: reassessing the complexities of soweto poetry. Journal of Southern African Studies 41 (4) , pp. 905-923. 10.1080/03057070.2015.1055547

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Abstract

This article aims to reassess recent and continuing analyses of Soweto poetry that merely confirm it as a product and expression of a Black Consciousness vogue. Discussing works by Mongane Serote, Sipho Sepamla, James Matthews and Njabulo Ndebele, I argue that although Black Consciousness ideas of self-respect and self-assertion are unmistakably included, this canon is situated within a profoundly complex historical and social context. Adopting Steve Biko's alternative definition of a ‘national culture’, I argue that Soweto poetry is a medial literature. This oeuvre creates a dialogue between common binary constructions of race, agency, culture and locale, and therefore becomes a factor in the creation of Black Consciousness and not simply its reflection.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	History, Archaeology and Religion
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis Group
ISSN:	0305-7070
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2024 15:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/171959

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