Around a Fire: Poems of Memory and Ritual
Loading...
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Western Cape
Abstract
This Creative Writing mini-thesis offers a deep meditation on what it means to speak to ritual
and memory. The thesis is compiled from a collection of original creative work as well as a
short reflective essay that present a critical analysis of the creative pieces in relation to the ideas
I present. The first of these ideas being, memory as an encapsulation of the past, present and
future as explored by writers such as W.G. Sebald and Toni Morrison. This collection examines
an understanding of memory and ritual as being uncontained, as constant providers of
stimulation for a range of literary responses. Ritual will be regarded primarily in the South
African context where there is the intersection of the urban and rural landscapes both physically
and metaphorically. In this regard I am thinking alongside writers such as Louise GlĂșck and
Vangile Gantsho. The understanding of ritual is extended to the realm of spirituality where
Christianity and African spirituality exist both harmoniously and in conflict. In short, the
collection of poems and the reflective essay will explore the ways that memory and ritual
interact in time and they will collectively contribute to the production of literature in South
Africa.
Description
Magister Artium - MA
Keywords
Memory, Ritual, Contemporary poetry, Nostalgia, Creative writing, Spirituality, South Africa, Rural, Urban