Waar eeue wegtik met elke oogknip : fin de siecle-intertekste in die poesie van Johann de Lange
Date
1998-03
Authors
Fritz, Dawn
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie stel hom ten doel om die 19de-eeuse kulturele fin de siecle-intertekste
in Johann de Lange se poësie, wat grotendeels postmodernisties
van aard is, na te gaan ten einde die hipotese te toets dat sy werk sterk
ooreenkomste met die kunsuitinge van die vorige eeuwending openbaar.
Hieruit blyk duidelik 'n korrespondensie of ekwivalensie tussen die tydsgees en
diskoers van die huidige fin de millennium en die van die 19de-eeuse fin de
siecle. Die titel van die tesis is ontleen aan die gedig "Greenwichtyd" uit Snel
grys fantoom (1986:29):
Dit als terwyl ek stil slaap anderkant
die horison, klein doen in 'n wêreld
waar eeue wegtik met elke oogknip,
'n dag gebeur tussen een asemteug
en die volgende [...]
Omdat al sewe bundels van die digter ondersoek is, kon slegs drie gedigte in
diepte geanaliseer word, naamlik "Correspondences" uit Wordende naak
(1990:22), "Studie van 'n portret van 'n man" uit Snel grys fantoom
(1986:56) en "Vlees van die berg" uit Vleiswond (1993:51-52). Die gedig
"Correspondences", wat seminaal is vir die hipotese wat in hierdie studie
gestel word, kom in 'n eie hoofstuk aan bod; "Studie van 'n portret van 'n
man" is aanvullend tot die hipotese dat De Lange hom met die kunstenaars van
die fin de siecle vereenselwig; terwyl "Vlees van die berg" op vele wyses De
Lange se digterlike preokkupasies weerspieël.
Enkele aspekte van die kunsstrominge van die Dekadentisme, Estetisisme en
Simbolisme, wat in die eeuwending voorkom en ook in De Lange se verse
neerslag vind, word in afsonderlike hoofstukke bespreek. Die digter se sosiopolitieke
betrokkenheid wat deur die meeste kritici in die verlede misken is,
word bevestig. As gevolg daarvan dat mistisisme en metapoësie by De Lange
dikwels in 'n enkele gedig saamsmelt, word hierdie aspekte ten slotte in 'n
afsonderlike hoofstuk onder die loep geneem.
Daar word deurgaans gebruik gemaak van verwysings na geselekteerde gedigte
uit De Lange se oeuvre, telkens gesitueer binne die konteks van die
postmoderniteit. Ten einde die dinamika van intertekstuele en interdiskursiewe
prosesse te demonstreer, word intertekstuele ekskursies of intertekstuele
cruising dikwels onderneem.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the 19th century cultural fin de siecle intertexts in Johann de Lange's predominantly postmodernistic poetry in order to test the hypothesis that his work reveals strong correspondences to art forms of the previous turn of the century. As a result a correspondence or an equivalence between the cultural climates and discourses of the relevant ages, viz. the present fin de millennium and the fin de siecle of the 19th century, is indicated. The origin of the title of the thesis is the poem "Greenwichtyd" from Snel grys fantoom (1986:29): Dit als terwyl ek stil slaap anderkant die horison, klein doen in 'n wêreld waar eeue wegtik met elke oogknip, 'n dag gebeur tussen een asemteug en die volgende [...] The volume of work involved in the examination of the poet's entire oeuvre of seven volumes precluded the exhaustive analysis of vast numbers of poems. For this reason only three poems have been analysed in any depth. These are "Correspondences" from Wordende naak (1990:22), "Studie van 'n portret van 'n man" from Snel grys fantoom (1986:56) and "Vlees van die berg" from Vleiswond (1993:51-52). The poem "Correspondences" which is seminal to the hypothesis posed in this study is discussed in a separate chapter; "Studie van 'n portret van 'n man" is supplementary to the hypothesis that De Lange identifies with the artists of the fin de siecle; while "Vlees van die berg" reflects many of De Lange's poetic preoccupations. A few aspects of decadence (in the cultural sense), aestheticism and symbolism, schools of art prevalent at the turn of the century which all find expression in De Lange's poems, are examined in separate chapters. The sosio-political commitment of the poet, unrecognised by most critics in the past, is confirmed. Because De Lange often merges mysticism and metapoetry in a single poem, these aspects are finally investigated together in one chapter. Reference is made throughout to selected poems from De Lange's oeuvre as situated within the context of postmodernity. In order to demonstrate the dynamics of intertextual and interdiscursive processes, intertextual excursions or "cruises" are often undertaken.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the 19th century cultural fin de siecle intertexts in Johann de Lange's predominantly postmodernistic poetry in order to test the hypothesis that his work reveals strong correspondences to art forms of the previous turn of the century. As a result a correspondence or an equivalence between the cultural climates and discourses of the relevant ages, viz. the present fin de millennium and the fin de siecle of the 19th century, is indicated. The origin of the title of the thesis is the poem "Greenwichtyd" from Snel grys fantoom (1986:29): Dit als terwyl ek stil slaap anderkant die horison, klein doen in 'n wêreld waar eeue wegtik met elke oogknip, 'n dag gebeur tussen een asemteug en die volgende [...] The volume of work involved in the examination of the poet's entire oeuvre of seven volumes precluded the exhaustive analysis of vast numbers of poems. For this reason only three poems have been analysed in any depth. These are "Correspondences" from Wordende naak (1990:22), "Studie van 'n portret van 'n man" from Snel grys fantoom (1986:56) and "Vlees van die berg" from Vleiswond (1993:51-52). The poem "Correspondences" which is seminal to the hypothesis posed in this study is discussed in a separate chapter; "Studie van 'n portret van 'n man" is supplementary to the hypothesis that De Lange identifies with the artists of the fin de siecle; while "Vlees van die berg" reflects many of De Lange's poetic preoccupations. A few aspects of decadence (in the cultural sense), aestheticism and symbolism, schools of art prevalent at the turn of the century which all find expression in De Lange's poems, are examined in separate chapters. The sosio-political commitment of the poet, unrecognised by most critics in the past, is confirmed. Because De Lange often merges mysticism and metapoetry in a single poem, these aspects are finally investigated together in one chapter. Reference is made throughout to selected poems from De Lange's oeuvre as situated within the context of postmodernity. In order to demonstrate the dynamics of intertextual and interdiscursive processes, intertextual excursions or "cruises" are often undertaken.
Description
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 1998.
Blog by Johann de Lange: http://johanndelange.blogspot.com/
Blog by Johann de Lange: http://johanndelange.blogspot.com/
Keywords
De Lange, Johann -- Criticism and interpretation, Afrikaans poetry -- 20th century -- History and criticism, Dissertations -- Afrikaans literature, Theses -- Afrikaans literature