Mtshali, Oswald Mbuyiseni

Mtshali, Oswald Mbuyiseni

▪ South African poet
born 1940, Vryheid, Natal, S.Af.

      South African poet who wrote in English and Zulu and whose work drew deeply upon the immediate experience of life in the Johannesburg township of Soweto.

      He worked as a messenger before his first collection of poems, Sounds of a Cowhide Drum (1971), won the Olive Schreiner Prize for 1974. After studying in the United States at the University of Iowa and Columbia University (New York), Mtshali returned to South Africa in 1979 and taught at a private school in Soweto. His second volume of poems, Fireflames (1980), was banned by the South African government because it was dedicated to the schoolchildren of Soweto, an obvious reference to the uprising there in 1976.

      Mtshali's poetry inevitably reflects his harsh experiences under the apartheid regime. He observes with a bitter and sardonic eye the grimy beer halls, the crowded trains, the slum housing, and the harsh working conditions that make up the lot of black Africans in South Africa. His bitterness finds expression in brilliantly controlled lines etched with an acid irony. Mtshali's poetry is remarkable for its evocative imagery, and his confident and unexpected similes have a rich emotional impact.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali — (born 17 January 1940) is a South African poet. He has written in both Zulu and English. He studied at Columbia University. Contents 1 First Book 2 Assessment of His Work 3 Educator …   Wikipedia

  • Mtshali —   [əm tʃɑːliː], Oswald Joseph Mbuyiseni, südafrikanischer Lyriker, * Vryheid (Natal) 17. 1. 1940; leistete mit seiner Lyrik (»Sounds of a cowhide drum«, 1971), deren zum Vortrag geeigneter Stil sich auf die mündliche afrikanische Erzähltradition… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • African literature — Introduction       the traditional oral and written literatures together with the mainly 20th century literature written mostly in European languages but also to an increasing extent in the many languages of the sub Saharan region. Traditional… …   Universalium

  • South African literature — Introduction       the body of writings in either Afrikaans or English produced in what is now the Republic of South Africa. The rest of African literature is treated in African literature.       South Africa was colonized by Europeans against… …   Universalium

  • Zulu language — Infobox Language name=Zulu nativename=isiZulu familycolor=Niger Congo states=flagicon|South Africa South Africa flagicon|Zimbabwe Zimbabwe flagicon|Malawi Malawi flagicon|Mozambique Mozambique flagicon|Swaziland Swaziland region=Zululand, Durban …   Wikipedia

  • Poems of Black Africa — was a 1975 poetry anthology edited by Wole Soyinka, and published in the Heinemann African Writers Series . It was arranged by theme.Poets in Poems of Black Africa Abangira G. Adali Mortty Costa Andrade Jared Angira Peter Anyang Nyong o Kofi… …   Wikipedia

  • Inkamana High School — Infobox School2 name = Inkamana Private Secondary motto = Ausculta creed = Aura et labora established = 1918 type = Private, Boarding locale = Secluded grades = Grade 8 12 head name = Headmistress/Umphathi head = Irene Steenkamp head name2 =… …   Wikipedia

  • Isizulu — Zoulou  Cet article concerne la langue. Pour le peuple, voir Zoulous. Zoulou isiZulu Parlée en Afrique du Sud, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland Région provinces de KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga et …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Langue Zouloue — Zoulou  Cet article concerne la langue. Pour le peuple, voir Zoulous. Zoulou isiZulu Parlée en Afrique du Sud, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland Région provinces de KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga et …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Langue zouloue — Zoulou  Cet article concerne la langue. Pour le peuple, voir Zoulous. Zoulou isiZulu Parlée en Afrique du Sud, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland Région provinces de KwaZulu Natal, Mpumalanga et …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”