How did poets contribute to the Second Afrikaans Language Movement?

During the Second Afrikaans Language Movement, which spanned the first two decades of the 20th century, poets served as the most influential figures in establishing Afrikaans as a significant written and national language. Following the South African War, these writers helped the language gain ascendancy over Dutch in schools, churches, and eventually as an official language of the Union of South Africa in 1925.12

Key poets of this movement included:

• Eugène Marais: Known for his compassionate verse on human suffering and for linking European literary traditions to South African realities.12
• Jan F.E. Celliers: A pastoral poet whose work, such as "Die vlakte," helped usher in the new literary language.12
• Jakob Daniel du Toit (Totius): Renowned for his elegiac poetry.12
• C. Louis Leipoldt: A highly original poet whose work expressed the suffering caused by the South African War and a sensuous appreciation of nature.12
• Toon van den Heever: An outstanding poet of the 1920s whose anticonformist verse anticipated the later "new" poetry movement.1