Transculturation in the poetry of B.W. Vilakazi

Abstract

The main concern in this article is to offer a critical evaluation of a selection of Vilakazi's poemsin which he deliberately foregrounds what he considers to be his social roles and obligations as a'modern' Zulu poet. Vilakazi's poems and his critical writings reflect his awareness of the inherentcontradictions underlying the challenging task of having to ensure the continuity and preservationof the Zulu traditions and value system while simultaneously devising new strategies and forms ofpoetic expression to suit the modern context. It is one of the central contentions of this article thatpostcolonial theory has provided contemporary critics with the conceptual and analytical frameworkwithin which to situate these dilemmas and begin to explore what they meant for first generation Zuluwriters such as Vilakazi.