Selected Poems

Ingrid Jonker

ISBN 10: 0798122463 / ISBN 13: 9780798122467

Published by Human and Rousseau, Capetown & Pretoria, South Africa, 1988

About this Item

Very Near Fine in Wraps: shows just a hint of wear to a couple of spots at the extremities and the mildest rubbing to the panels; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. Free of creases to the panels. Free of creases to the backstrip. Free of any creased or dog-eared pages in the text. Free of any underlining, hi-lighting or marginalia or marks in the text. Free of ownership names, dates, addresses, notations, inscriptions, stamps, or labels. A handsome, nearly-new copy, structurally sound and tightly bound, showing the described imperfections only. Bright and clean. Corners sharp. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo (8.4 x 5.45 x 0.25 inches) . Translated from the Afrikaans by Jack Cope and William Plomer. Language: English. Weight: 3 ounces. First Edition Thus (1988) ; no statement of printing history. Probable first printing. While the original Afrikaans editions are noted, no earlier edition of this selection is credited. This is, however, touted as a "Revised and Enlarged" edition. Paperback. Ingrid Jonker (1933 1965) OIS was a South African poet and one of the founders of modern Afrikaans literature. Her poems have been widely translated into other languages, including English, German, French, Dutch, Polish, Hindi and Zulu, among others. The prestigious Ingrid Jonker Prize for the best debut work of Afrikaans or English poetry was instituted by her friends to honour her legacy. At the opening of the first democratically elected Parliament of South Africa on 24 May 1994, Nelson Mandela praised Jonker's role as a critic of Apartheid and suggested that her suicide was an extreme protest against a nation that refused to hear her. Mandela then read Jonker's poem, Die kind (wat doodgeskiet is deur soldate by Nyanga) ("The child (who was shot dead by soldiers at Nyanga) ") in English translation. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 64 pages.

Seller Inventory # 59110

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Selected Poems
• Publisher: Human and Rousseau, Capetown & Pretoria, South Africa
• Publication Date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0798122463
• ISBN 13: 9780798122467
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Edition Thus; First Printing.
• Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Dit is moeilik om nie deur die kort, onstuimige lewe van Ingrid Jonker geruk en gefassineer te word nie. Die versoeking is dus groot om haar Versamelde gedigte, wat jeugwerk, Ontvlugting (1956), Rook en oker (1963) en die postuum gepubliseerde Kantelson (1966) insluit, deur die lens van haar veelbewoë biografie te bekyk. Dit sou egter dwaas wees om hierdie dikwels sjarmante en speelse verse slegs te ondersoek soos ’n nuuskierige forensiese sielkundige wat die literêre beendere van ’n lewe fynkam vir bewyse van sensasie en waansin. Sinvoller sou wees om in gedagte te hou dat Jonker aanvanklik betower het met haar digkuns en nie met haar politieke instellings of omstrede lewe nie. Lees Ingrid Jonker onbevange en jy word opnuut bekoor deur ’n onmiskenbare helder stem wat met kinderlike verwondering en ontsteltenis sing en huil van onskuld, skoonheid en verskrikking in gedigte wat goël met die aansteeklike en bedrieglike eenvoud van ’n kleuterrympie, maar spook soos duister voorbodes. Lees “Toemaar die donker man” weer met ’n oop gemoed en jy besef hoekom Jonker se woorde ongeag die psigodrama van haar lewe en dood aanhou eggo. Dit kom na jou soos ’n klassieke wiegelied waarin die troos van moederliefde net so waar en teenwoordig is as die oneindige nag daarbuite. Die verse in Versamelde gedigte is die steeds lewende, ademende bewys dat beduidende kunstenaars skep ten spyte van verlies, trauma en geestesongesteldheid en nie gewoon as direkte gevolg daarvan nie – anders sou goeie poësie so volop soos trane gewees het. – Danie Marais