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The Coloured Voice: Finding Its Place in South African Poetry

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The Coloured Voice: Finding Its Place in South African Poetry Education Journal 2021; 10(4): 154-159 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/edu doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20211004.16 ISSN: 2327-2600 (Print); ISSN: 2327-2619 (Online) The Coloured Voice: Finding Its Place in South African Poetry Kirsten Deane Department of English, The University of The Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa Email address: To cite this article: Kirsten Deane. The Coloured Voice: Finding Its Place in South African Poetry. Education Journal. Vol. 10, No. 4, 2021, pp. 154-159. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20211004.16 Received : June 29, 2021; Accepted : July 24, 2021; Published : July 29, 2021 Abstract: South African poetry has found its place in many parts of the world. Topics such as racism, discrimination and issues resulting from the past of South Africa, have all found themselves in South African literary journals and anthologies. One of the achievements of the South African poet has been finding a place for the disadvantaged group/s of South Africa, the group/s that have suffered through the past and present South Africa. However, through all the major South African journals and literary collections, the voice and life of the Coloured individual has been left out and overlooked. More importantly, this has resulted in the Coloured individuals of South Africa not knowing their place in the poetry world. More specifically, because they are not reading about their cultural power in poetry, they tend to believe that poetry is not for the Coloured culture and language. In this paper I intend to show that there has been a lack of place in poetry for the Coloured individual, and furthermore, to show that there is a place for the Coloured story and culture in poetry. As a result, what will be shown is the effect that the Coloured voice will have on South African poetry, and how it will benefit a large portion of the South African population. Keywords: South Africa, Poetry, Coloured, Mixed Race 1. Introduction 2. Poetry and Race: A Relationship The term ‘Coloured’ has received various reactions throughout the years of its existence. In some places, such as 2.1. The Root of Coloured the United States of America, it is frowned upon to use this term to define an individual. Rather, a ‘Coloured’ person is In South Africa, Coloured is the name of a race that is thought of as somebody that is a mix of races, commonly defined as being a combination of more than one race within thought of as a mix of Africans (blacks) and whites. However, the population. During the Apartheid era, races were separated in South Africa, ‘Coloured’ has obtained its right to be used as and treated accordingly. Each race would have different the term to define the unique racial group that was once looked disadvantages and the non-white races were limited in their at as being ‘undefined’. As a result of being looked at as opportunities in the academic sense and so much more. South ‘undefined’, these individuals would be referred to as ‘mixed’, Africa had namely four races: Blacks, Whites, Coloureds, and a term that would lead to a confused sense of identity. Indians. With Coloured becoming the defining name of a However, as time went on, it became obvious to an academic racial group, came so many other ways of life. In particular, and writer like myself, that the Coloured identity was and is the Coloured Culture. As the Coloured population was named hardly present in South African literature and poetry. I and separated from the rest, they developed their own unique embarked on a journey to not only write poetry, but to write way of living. This was done through food, language and even this research paper which would explore and highlight the lack ways of dress. of presence of Coloured identity in poetry. I will then shed 2.2. Poetry Finding Its Place light on why and how the Coloured identity could be present in South African poetry. For many South Africans, writing has become a form of expression, not only to get through and cope with the struggles 155 Kirsten Deane: The Coloured Voice: Finding Its Place in South African Poetry they have faced and are facing; struggles such as racism and explored that had touched on Coloured identity, did so merely inequality, but they have also used the art of writing to express on the surface, which is common in current literary studies as their individual cultures and what that individuality means for Mohamed Adhikari states: their everyday life. Karen Press, a South African poet, wrote a The current literature offers only the most superficial of poem dedicated to another woman, Jessie Tamboer, who attempts at analysing the essential character of Coloured sacrificed her own life because she could no longer provide for identity or the social and political dynamic that informed her children. This poem may give you an insight into one of Coloured exclusivism. [9] the many intentions of South African poetry: to shine light on I started wondering, where are the coloured creatives? The dark circumstances. Have a look at the fourth stanza: coloured writers? Yes, there are the few here and there whose Sometimes I cry, I work gets explored and noticed, but why are there not more? the absolute poor Why are we not explored in the creative academia? These I am sick to death of watching my ruin. [12] questions, and so much more, are what I intend to explore in Through writing about who they are and using language to this paper. explore their identity more than before, these individuals are able to look at themselves with true understanding, a concept 3. Finding a Place which Michelle Decker uses in her work: When poetry’s sounds or organization approaches the thing 3.1. The Common South African Poet they describe, when through language they transcend language’s merely communicative function, poetry (and, by Interestingly, when I began to think about writing this paper, extension, language itself) approaches purity. [13] I decided to simply search up ‘top South African poets’. Here Prior to my decision to write this research paper, I wrote are the top results: poem that spoke to my need, as a Coloured academic, to Keorapetse Kgositsile. (1938-2018) express my everyday experience as a Coloured writer and Antjie Krog. living in a Coloured home: Breyten Breytenbach My poetry wants women Joan Hambidge My fingers have been aching and crying when I look away. Mzwakhe Mbuli They’re tired. Roy Campbell (1901-1957) They’ve been writing about the white women and their David Wright (1920-1994) beauty, the perfections that they carry. Ingrid Jonker (1933-1965) My paper-cut fingers want to write about the coloured Lebogang Mashile women Mongane Wally Serote that hang in my curls What was interesting about the results was that 1) it was with their legs crossed and their arms reaching across mostly men and 2) it was mostly Black and White individuals. their chest to stop the men from staring As a young, Coloured writer, I find myself not only yearning at their breasts, to read work from the coloured community, but furthermore, I My poetry wants to bring their eyes back to meet ours. yearn to read work by the female-coloured community. The My hands want to write about the coffee and koeksisters minority that is a big part of the coloured culture. that sit on our table but only on a Sunday. 3.2. What Does South African Poetry Seek About the fulfilment a coloured woman only gets from family. In this paper I intend to show that the voices of South I want to write about the beautiful black women that ride African poetry is majority that of the White and Black culture. the taxi Furthermore, I will show that the nature of South African with me, their voices that have more life in them than their poetry does have a place for the Coloured culture and voice. lungs. C. J. D Harvey wrote a paper titled “Local colour in South My hands want to write about the colourful women African Poetry”. In this paper, Harvey explores the idea that I live beside and my poetry will show South African poetry has a desire to create and embrace the us combined into a rainbow distinct South African culture through the medium of poetry: that doesn’t end. In South Africa, as in other Dominions and My inspiration for this piece was my everyday surroundings newly-developed and culturally self-conscious countries, and my academic history. Having been an undergraduate and a there is a great desire to produce and develop a ‘national current postgraduate student at The University of The Western ‘culture embracing distinctive local forms, especially in Cape, a university known for its hand in fighting against poetry and painting. [1] oppression and discrimination, I was always exposed to As Harvey states, South African poetry aims to embrace creative writing that explored these issues. However, while distinct local forms that refer to the different cultures of South obtaining my degree in English Literature, I found that the Africa. Harvey’s statement is true, as can be seen in creative pieces which we explored were mostly written by well-known poetry. However, there is a local form that South Black or White individuals. The literary pieces which we African poetry has been lacking: the Coloured form. Education Journal 2021; 10(4): 154-159 156 4. South African Purpose Poetry subject in the South African poetry community. Black South Africans have taken it upon themselves to make this topic a In her paper “Faces of Commitment: Poetry from South priority in the craft of writing poetry.
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