Gestorwe geliefdes : ʼn vergelyking van die neerslag van die mite van Orfeus en Euridike in die rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief in Apostroof van Fanie Olivier en Doodsbloei van Pieter Boskma

Abstract

Die neerslag van die mite van Orfeus en Euridike in die rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief in Apostroof (Fanie Olivier) en Doodsbloei (Pieter Boskma) word in hierdie studie ondersoek. Die unieke wyse waarop elke digter die mite in die bundel aangewend het, word uitgelig aan die hand van gediganalises, stiplees, en ook ʼn anekdoties-biografiese lesing. Die studie sluit af met ʼn vergelyking tussen die twee bundels waarin die verskille en ooreenkomste uitgelig word rakende die wyses waarop elke digter die mite en die rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief aangewend het. Trauma kan die bestaande selfnarratief verbrokkel, veral trauma geassosieer met die afsterwe van ʼn geliefde soos ʼn lewensmaat. Sedert die vroegste tye is daar oor die dood van ʼn geliefde geskryf, veral in die vorm van elegiese poësie. Alhoewel elegie verskeie funksies vervul, kan die skryf daarvan ook bydra tot die verwerking van trauma. “Turning one’s life into a narrative is a vital way of finding meaning” (Van der Merwe & Gobodo- Madikizela, 2007:2). White en Epston (1990) se narratiewe terapie, maar meer spesifiek Suzette Henke (1998) se skriptoterapie, is ʼn nuttige hulpmiddel in hierdie singewingsproses aangesien dit die skrywer noop om deur die trauma te skryf en die trauma uit te skryf. Dit blyk dat die (gepubliseerde) skrywer, synde ʼn skrywer, soms nie anders kan as om oor sy verlies te skryf nie. Tydens die skryfproses kan ʼn selfnarratief geskep word – of eerder ʼn poging aangewend word om ʼn bestaande een te rekonstrueer – wat help om weer struktuur, koherensie en betekenis te genereer (Van der Merwe & Gobodo-Madikizela, 2000:5). Mites kan as analogiese raamwerk in dié geskrewe tekste aangewend word omdat hulle onbewustelik (kan) funksioneer in die rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief. Die mite van Orfeus en Euridike het liefde, verlies, verganklikheid, trauma en die terugwin van ʼn geliefde as hooftemas en is die ideale analogie om as metanarratief in die rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief te dien, hetsy op bewuste of onbewuste vlak. Die weergawes van Ovidius en Vergilius dien as generiese weergawes in hierdie ondersoek omdat hulle waarskynlik as van die bekendste en gewildste weergawes gereken kan word. Vergilius se weergawe word in hierdie studie gebruik, omdat dit aansluit by die keuse van die primêre tekste vir hierdie ondersoek, naamlik Apostroof (Fanie Olivier) en Doodsbloei (Pieter Boskma), wat albei kort na die dood van ʼn geliefde verskyn het. Die traumateorie vorm die teoretiese basis vir hierdie studie, veral die sienings van Cathy Caruth (Trauma: Explorations in memory, 1995; Unclaimed experience: Trauma, narrative and history, 1996) en Chris Van der Merwe en Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (Narrating our healing: perspectives on trauma, narrative and forgiveness, 2007) waarin die veronderstelling is dat trauma die slagoffer woordeloos laat en die selfnarratief laat verbrokkel en ʼn rekonstruksie verg. Gevolglik moedig bogenoemde outeurs die (poging tot) verwoording van die onverwoordbare aan. ʼn Digbundel kan funksioneer as ʼn veilige, liminale ruimte waarin die digter sy gevoelens verhuld op ʼn teksinterne outeur kan projekteer in die soeke na struktuur, koherensie en betekenis. Daar kan sodoende ook met nuwe toekomsmoontlikhede geëksperimenteer word. Die herskeppende vermoë van taal (die bewustheid en praktiese toepassing daarvan), deurlopende metafore en motiewe wat bundeleenheid bewerkstellig en intertekstuele verwysings is prominent in albei bundels. In die tekste is daar wel tekens van ʼn verbrokkelde selfnarratief en ʼn poging tot rekonstruksie daarvan, maar die rekonstruksie is nie voltooi teen die einde van die bundel nie; daar is plek-plek slegs flardes daarvan te bespeur. Die skryfproses het meer waarde in die verwerking van die verlies as in die eintlike rekonstruksie van die selfnarratief. Dit is deur taal – woorde – dat die spreker weer tot verhaal kom. Sodoende probeer hy nie net sy gestorwe geliefde red nie, maar ook homself. This study investigates the deposition of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the reconstruction of the self-narrative in Apostroof (Fanie Olivier) and Doodsbloei (Pieter Boskma). The unique way in which each poet used the myth in the chosen poetry collection is highlighted by means of analysis, language usage and respective anecdotal biographical readings. The study concludes with a comparison of the ways in which each poet used the myth and the reconstruction of the self-narrative in the two chosen poetry collections. Trauma can shatter a person’s existing self-narrative, especially trauma experienced after the death of a loved one like a life partner. Since the earliest times, people have written elegiac poetry, that is poetry with the death of a loved one, or other person, as theme. Although elegiac poetry has various functions, the writing thereof can also contribute to the processing of trauma. “Turning one's life into a narrative is a vital way of finding meaning” (Van der Merwe & Gobodo- Madikizela, 2007:2). The narrative therapy of White and Epston (1990), but more specifically Suzette Henke’s (1998) scriptotherapy, is a useful tool in the process of working through the traumatic experience of loss, as it forces the author to write through the trauma and write the trauma out. It appears only natural that a published author, being a writer, would write about the loss he has suffered. During the writing process, a self-narrative can be created – or rather an attempt made to reconstruct an existing one – which helps to generate structure, coherence and meaning again (Van der Merwe & Gobodo-Madikizela, 2000:5). Myths can be used as an analogy in the written texts as they function unconsciously in the reconstruction of self-narrative. The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has love, loss, immortality, trauma and recovery of a loved one as themes and is the ideal analogy to serve as metanarrative in the reconstruction of self-narrative, either on a conscious or unconscious level. The versions of Ovidius and Vergilius serve as generic versions in this study because they are generally considered as the most well-known versions. Especially Vergilius's version is used in this study because it corresponds to the choice of the primary texts, namely Apostroof (Fanie Olivier) and Doodsbloei (Pieter Boskma), both published shortly after the death of a loved one. Trauma theory forms the theoretical basis for this study, specifically the views of Cathy Caruth (Trauma: Explorations in Memory, 1995; Unclaimed Experience: Trauma, Narrative and History, 1996), and Chris Van der Merwe and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela (Narrating Our Healing: Perspectives on trauma, narrative and forgiveness, 2007) in which the assumption is that trauma leaves the victim at a loss for words. Consequently the expression of the unsayable is encouraged through writing. The poetry collection serves as a safe, liminal space in which the poet can project his feelings on an internal author in the quest for structure, coherence and meaning. This also provides the opportunity to experiment with new prospects and future outcomes. The awareness and practical application of language in order to recreate, consistent metaphors and motives in the collections as well as intertextual references feature prominently in both collections. The texts show that there are signs of a broken self-narrative and an attempt to reconstruct it, but the reconstruction does not seem to be completed at the end; rather only fragments are presented at places. The focus rather falls on the writing process itself as it seems to be more valuable in processing the loss than the actual reconstruction of the selfnarrative. It is through language – words itself – that the internal author comes to terms with reality. In the process, he tries not only to save his lost loved one, but also himself.