Abstract
M.A.
In Afrikaans poetry, Nature is depicted in terms of the relationship existing among
and / or inanimate organisms, i. e. an ecological mode. Man's influence on the
environment, features strongly in the poetry of the eighties. The anthology, Groen
(J. L. Marais), can be seen as a focal point of this involvement.
Chapter one provides an overview of the ecological code in Afrikaans poetry,
spanning the time from the First Afrikaans Language Movement up till the seventies.
With regard to this period, the different approaches of the poets to Nature are
being studied. During this era a decidedly dynamic approach to the subject existed.
Nature was initially seen as the idyllic, soothing and was also used as a metaphor
for beauty and purity. With time, Nature took on another dimension and came to
represent destructive forces.
In chapter two, the anthology Groen by J. L. Marais, under discussion in this work,
concluding the eighties, Man is called to task, i. e. to protect and nurture the
balance in the ecology. Man is made aware of both the threat to and the
conservation of nature. These binary forces are discussed with reference to two
semantic devices, cohesion and coherence. As binding factors they provide a
semantic light on the above themes.
Verweerde aardbol by J. L. Marais, is approached along the same lines in chapter
three. The specific themes used in this anthology, serve as a classification aid.
The poet's concern about the transience of nature comes to the fore, and Marais
himself states that the time has come for writers to be called up in service to the
environment without being apologetic about it (Marais 1993: 32).
A clear paradigm shift is visible from the infant years of Afrikaans poetry to the
poetry of the eighties. The "green"-awareness which inflamed / inspired the
community, plays an important role in the eighties and is reflected in Afrikaans
poetry. The dynamic power of the ecological code as theme, still has many
untapped areas which can be explored in further studies.