Facing Mount Nelson: a critical analysis of five Xhosa poems on Nelson Rholihlahla Mandela

Abstract

The poems to be analysed here are a modest contribution by some of the Xhosa poets to the corpus of material that acclaims Mandela's monumental service to the nation. This article also shows that the traditional art form called izibongo' is not only vibrantly alive, but that its practitioners are also as articulate as ever. Conventional analytical methods are used to bring out the message of each poet regarding this important figure. Care has been taken not to overemphasise the message at the expense of the manner in which the poems present the message.