Die stryd tussen "wêreld" en "aarde" in Breyten Breytenbach se "eiland (1)" in Nege landskappe van ons tye bemaak aan ? beminde (1993)

Abstract

This article examines the tension between "world" and "earth" in Breyten Breytenbach's poem "eiland (1)" ["island (1)"] in Nege landskappe van ons tye bemaak aan 'n beminde (1993) [Nine landscapes of our times bequeathed to a beloved]. The German philosopher Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) argues in his essay "The origin of the work of art" (2002:1-56) that an artwork is a special sort of disclosure, and reveals a tension between "world" and "earth". World is described as a historical, interpretable cultural space, whereas earth is that from which world arises and returns (Heidegger, 2002:20-21). Breytenbach's "eiland (1)" discloses the tension between world and earth in multiple ways. This article will, by means of a close reading of Breytenbach's poem, show how Heidegger's insights can contribute to the analysis and interpretation of the poem. It will also employ the elements of Heidegger's fourfold, as described in his essay "Building, dwelling, thinking" (1989:165-179) to further elucidate the concepts of world and earth.