A study of JJR Jolobe's selected children's rhymes

Abstract

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study identifies the predominant features in JJR Jolobe's children's poetry (rhymes). Another purpose well worth considering is the impact poems can have on children's language because poetry is the highest literary form and without poetry a child will sense the loss. The language in poetry is learned in an immitative manner because it is natural to childhood thereby helping children to respond almost instictively. They hear languages as part of their early environment and take it through imitation. In Jolobe's poems children learn about:- 1. The physical background which constitute geographical location, natural scenery appropriate for narrative. 2. The spiritual background which includes the emotional climate created by religious moral, social and psychological conditions. One should note that the speaker's rhymes enable the youngsters to build upon the language facilities and attempts one has to improve so that a child can communicate in his culture in an affective and productive way. These poems help the child to keep the sense of nationality, describe their nature land lovingly and understand the essential quality of their own race. Through Jolobe's poems children do not overlook isiXhosa oral heritage at school level and let oral tradition of the other nations dominate. Furthermore critical theory reflects that Jalobe's rhymes are genuinely poetry meant for fun. Humorous and nonsensical verses often serve as outlets for laughter and fun. Jolobe's work follows briefly the history of the Xhosa nation tracing their tradition, culture and language whereby it reflects the mental behaviour of a group and reveal its love and its hatred of certain things.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie studie word die hoofkenmerke in JJR Jolobe se kinderpoesië geïdentifiseer. Poësie het 'n groot impak op kinders se taalgebruik, dit vorm deel van hulle vroeë omgewing, en die verlies daarvan sal 'n negatiewe invloed op kinders hê. Die taal in poësie word aangeleer deur nabootsing, omdat dit natuurlik is vir kinders en hulle help om amper instinktief daarop te reageer. Jolobe se poësie leer kinders van: 1. Fisiese agtergrond, wat bestaan uit geografiese ligging en natuurtonele toepaslik tot die vertelling en 2. Spirituele agtergrond, wat die emosionele klimaat insluit wat geskep word deur godsdienstige, morele, sosiale en sielkundige toestande. Die poësie help kinders om 'n sin vir nasionalitiet te ontwikkel, dit beskryf hulle geboortelande met deernis en bevordre begrip vir die essensiële kwaliteit van hulle eie ras. Deur Jolobe se poësie herken kinders hulle mondelinge isiXhosa-erfenis op skoolvlak, en verseker dit sodoende dat hierdie erfenis nie deur die mondelinge tradisies van ander nasies gedomineer word nie. Kritiese teorie toon aan dat Jolobe se kinderpoësie ware poësie is wat pret vir die leser moet verskaf. Humoristiese en onsinnige verse dien telkens as uitlaatkleppe vir plesier en pret. Jolobe se werk beskryf die geskiedenis, tradisies, kultuur en taal van die Xhosanasie, en reflekteer sodoende die denkwyse en voor- en afkeure van die groep.