(De)scribing Women and Womanhood in Some Xitsonga Poems

There are various modes of representation that may be used to convey ideas about human relations and perceptions. Poetry is one of the avenues that is often used to express ideas about human experience and other related matters. Hence, poetry may be used to convey ideas about gender and its attendant perception and portrayal in society. This is true of Xitsonga poetry, which often entails poets' concept of women and womanhood. This article analyses two Xitsonga poems that were purposively selected for their treatment of women and womanhood as themes. The selected poems are are Vatshiveri by Malungana and Babane, and Nkata xithicarana by G.J Maphalakasi. Underpinned by the theory of meaning and content analysis, the article reveals that women are largely portrayed in a negative light, lazy, heartless, boastful, arrogant, and evil, only insofar as they do not conform to the cultural and stereotypic definitions of a woman is or should be in a given society. The article recommends that Vatsonga women should create poetry contrasting male writers' views, transforming perceptions of women and womanhood. Future Vatsonga poets should draw from cultural tenets without relying on past understandings.