An Analytical Survey of Zulu Poetry, Both Traditional and Modern

Mazisi Kunene's master's thesis, "An Analytical Survey of Zulu Poetry, Both Traditional and Modern," critiques modern Zulu literature for its adoption of European styles over traditional ones, its unanalytical nature, and a tendency towards sentimentality influenced by Christian and Romantic traditions.1

Zulu literature, like much of African literature, historically divided into traditional and Christian themes. By the 1930s, these merged, focusing on the tension between urban, Westernized life and the traditional African past. Zulu poetry encompasses a range from imitating ancient forms to analyzing apartheid. Traditional Zulu heroic poetry, or panegyric, uses metaphor, often linking historical figures with animals, to celebrate heroes and reframe history within contemporary experiences.23