Die term "volkspoesie" is reeds in die agtiende eeu deur Johann
Gottfried Herder gebruik. Dit kom steeds in Europese tale soos
Nederlands en Dui ts voor en word oak in Afrikaans gebruik.
Belangstelling in die genre word in twee verskillende vakgebiede
aangetref: die volkskunde en die letterkunde.
Volkspoesie is poesie wat deur 'n individu geskep word, maar
soveel aanklank vind by die "gewone publiek" dat hulle dit as
11volksbesit 11 aanvaar en mondel ing oordra. Die oorspronklike
skepper raak dus vergete, die kunswerk bestaan anoniem voort en
variante ontstaan. Volkspoesie het verskeie verskyningsvorme
soos die volkslied( jie), die ballade, rympies en raaisels.
Eiesoortige kenmerke is: spontaneiteit, eenvoud, die irrasionele.
Alhoewel volkspoesie oor "landsgrense11 heen kan swerf, is
bepaalde vorme daarvan dikwels streekgebonde.
Nieteenstaande sy bevraagtekening van die term in die vyftigerjare
het N.P. van Wyk Louw dit ook self gebruik. Sy gedigreeks
11 Klipwerk uit Nuwe verse (1954) het 'n nuwe belangstelling in
volkspoesie gewek. Later het hy die reeks bestempel as 'n "soort
volkspoesie wat hy doelbewus wou skep: volksversagtige" gedigte,
gebind aan die digter se jeugwereld.
D.J. Opperman het in sy proefskrif van 1953 ook ender meer 'n
belangstelling in volkspoesie geopenbaar en in 1962 gewys op die
volkse in moderne Afrikaanse digkuns. Sy laaste digbundel,
Kamas uit 'n bamboesstok ( 1979), word as 'n volksboek met
volkspoesie-eienskappe aangebied.
Die vorm en eienskappe van volkspoesie vind neerslag in beide Van
Wyk Louw en Opperman se werk. Aanvanklik skryf Van Wyk Louw
heelwat volksversagtige gedigte en later gebruik hy ook
volksballade-eienskappe in sy ballades. Ook in Tristia (1962)
kom eienskappe van volksliedjies en rympies voor. Opperman
verwerk meermale bestaande volksliedjies en -rympies in sy poesie
en gebruik dit betekenisverruimend as verwysingsveld.
Die twee digters se belangstelling in volkspoesie het gelei tot
'n verdere ontginning van die "volkse" vers in Afrikaans, onder
andere deur digters soos Boerneef, Adam Small en Breyten Breytenbach.
Volkskundige navorsing deur P.W. Grobbelaar en andere het
in die moderne tyd ook die aandag op hierdie onderwerp gevestig.
In die tagtigerjare is mondelinge Afrikaanse poesie selfs deur
swartmense in hulle politieke stryd gebruik!
The term "folk-poetry" had already been used by Johann Gottfried
Herder in the eighteenth century. It has ever since prevailed
in European languages such as Dutch and German and is also found
in Afrikaans. Interest in this genre occurs in two different
fields of study: folklore and literature.
"Folk-poetry" is poetry created by the individual and accepted
by the "general public" to a large extent. Therefore it is
acknowledged as common property and passed on by word of mouth.
The original creator is thus forgotten, the work of art prevails
anonymously and different versions come into being. "Folkpoetry"
appears in a variety of forms: the folk-song( s), the
ballad, rhymes and riddles. Particular characteristics are:
spontaneousness, simplicity, the irrational. Although "folkpoetry"
may cross "national borders", some forms are often
regional.
Despite his questioning the term in the fifties, N.P. van Wyk
Louw used it himself. His poetry series "Klipwerk" from Nuwe
verse (1954) gave rise to a new interest in ''folk-poetry". He
afterwards labelled the series as "a kind of folk-poetry" which
he deliberately wanted to create: "folksy" poems, relating to the
world of the poet's youth.
In his 1953 thesis D.J. Opperman also showed amongst others an
interest in "folk-poetry" and in 1962 pointed out the "folksy"
identity in contemporary Afrikaans poetry. His last anthology,
Kamas uit 'n bamboesstok (1979), is presented as a folk book with
"folk-poetry" characteristics.
The form and characteristics of "folk-poetry" are embedded in
both Van Wyk Louw's and Opperman's work. Initially Van Wyk Louw
wrote quite a number of "folksy" poems and afterwards also used
folk-ballad characteristics in the ballads he wrote. Characteristics
of folk-songs and rhymes also occur in Tristia (1962).
Opperman adapts existing folk-songs and rhymes in his poetry and
uses it as framework to broaden the meaning.
These two poets' interest in "folk-poetry" resulted in further
exploration of the "folksy" verse in Afrikaans, among others by
poets like Boerneef, Adam Small and Breyten Breytenbach. Folk
research by P.W. Grobbelaar and others focused attention on this
subject. In the eighties even blacks used oral Afrikaans poetry
in their political struggle!
