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LitNet Akademies Jaargang 9(2), Augustus 2012
A hierarchical classification of the spectrum in Krog's poetic oeuvre is useful for a detailed
study of the development of the autobiographical pact in her work, but in this article the focus
is solely on Body bereft (2006). The four categories are distinguished on the basis of their
autobiographical content: the highest level concerns primary autobiographical links with the
poet; on the second level are secondary links with Krog's life; the third level showcases the
transition from intensely personal poetry to universal themes; and on the fourth level the
poems are fictional with no apparent links to the poet.
The first category with primary autobiographical references is known as directly
autobiographical poems, in which Krog refers to specific people and events in her life.
Examples are inclusions in her work of dates and place names, as well as her proper name
and/or names (or initials) of her loved ones. Some critics may refer to these as "pure"
autobiographical poems. However, this term is problematic, because "pure" suggests a kind
of essentialism, and the uncompromising autobiographical nature cannot be verified. Within a
postmodern poetic perspective the notion of "pure autobiography" is disregarded.
In some instances Krog's voice is not clearly distinguishable in her poems, but the reader may
well conclude that the content relates partly to her experiences. Stated differently, it is
possible to interpret verses differently when background information about the poet's life is
taken into account. This includes vague or indirect references to her husband, children,
marriage or poetry, which do not link to the poet in an obvious manner. This is dangerous
territory, a terrain and methodology which the New Critics would not have condoned. New
Criticism emphasised a reading methodology known as "close reading" whereby the reader’s
only focus is the text. According to this theory all the answers to questions present in the text
can be unlocked by close focus and analysis. The New Critics rejected the idea of external
factors, such as biographical and sociological issues, having an impact on the given text.
Contrary to this, I think the reader’s knowledge of the poet’s biographical information may
be useful in the interpretation of the poem, as well as adding another layer of meaning to the
poem. I call this second category, with tributary autobiographical facts analysed against a
broader knowledge of Krog's life, indirectly autobiographical poems.
In the third category there is "universal" poetry with so-called universal themes of, among
others, love, loss and anger with which a large number of readers can identify. In these poems
there is no autobiographical information that links directly with Krog. The poetry's
universality also means that it cannot easily become anachronistic, and this in turn appeals to
its perennial nature or period of relevance. It does not necessarily mean that all poems with
universal themes are more relevant or have a longer “shelf life” than directly and indirectly
autobiographical poems. Nor is it evident that these poems, as in the case of Shakespeare's
love sonnets, will acquire classical status and be included in the canon. The comprehensive
thematic variety only ensures a higher probability that these poems will appeal to a broader
readership. Although this division of poetry into categories could appear artificial, it is a
useful benchmark to study the autobiographical code in Krog's oeuvre.
Keywords: Antjie Krog; autobiography; South African poetry; female body; breaching
taboos; Body bereft
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