Portrayal of death, grief, and loss in selected Sesotho poems: a formalist approach

Abstract

The portrayal of death, grief, and loss in Sesotho poetry, which employs formalist theory as a theoretical framework for analysis and interpretation, is severely lacking in research. The theoretical significance of this study is to contribute to the existing body of research by examining how Basotho poets depict death, grief, and loss in their artistic literary creations, thereby highlighting the enduring power of language to explore these profound and universal aspects of human experience. In addition, the study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach underpinned by both the content and interpretative analyses. The population for this study was culled from a range of Sesotho poems as sources for data collection, with sixteen selected poems serving as a purposive sample for the current study. Since death, grief, and loss are ubiquitous human phenomena that are intensely emotional and traumatic experiences, the reader will gain the ability to interpret a poem's words in a variety of ways, including as expressions of empathy, loneliness, rage, frustration, and other emotions. This will give readers new perspectives and a profound understanding that these phenomena are universal and inevitable experiences for all humans and that confronting these themes does not alter their inevitability. Instead, it fosters a greater appreciation and acceptance of the immutability of these phenomena, treats them with respect and dignity, and teaches readers how to cope with these themes effectively. The findings and recommendations of this study will help promote Sesotho poetry among other indigenous languages as worthy of academic scrutiny, especially on the portrayal of death, grief, and loss.

Pōpo ea lefu, masoabi le tahlehelo dithothokisong tsa Sesotho, tse sebedisang mohopolo oa formalism e le motheo oa ho sekaseka le ho toloka, e sa ntse e haella haholo dipatlisisong. Bohlokoa ba thuto ena ke ho kenya letsoho dipatlisisong tse seng di le teng ka ho hlahloba kamoo dithothokiso tsa Basotho di bontšang lefu, masoabi le tahlehelo ka hara mesebetsi ea bonono, ka ho totobatsa matla a tswellang pele a puo ho hlalosa le ho vii hlakisa dintlha tse tebileng tsa bophelo ba motho. Ho feta moo, thuto ena e tla sebedisa mokgwa o hlalosang le o boleng, o tšehetsweng ke dihlahlobo tsa ditaba le tlhaloso. Sehlopha sa diphuputso se tla nkwa dibukeng tse fapaneng tsa dithothokiso tsa Sesotho, moo dithothokiso tse leshome le metso e tšeletseng di tla khethwa e le mohlala o reretsweng thuto ena. Kaha lefu, masoabi le tahlehelo ke tse ding tsa dintho tse tlwaelehileng bophelong ba batho tse amang maikutlo ka botebo le tse bohloko haholo, mmadi o tla kgona ho toloka mantswe a thothokiso ka ditsela tse fapaneng ho kenyeletsa ho bontša kutlwelo-bohloko, bohloki, kgalefo, tshitiso ea maikutlo le tse ding. Sena se tla fa babadi pono e ncha le kutloisiso e tebileng ea hore ditaba tsena ke karolo e sa qobeheng bophelong ba motho, mme hore ho tobana le tsona ha ho fetole taba ea hore dia etsahala. Ho e na le hoo, ho ruta kamohelo le teboho ea hore di ke ke tsa fetoha, ho di ananelala le ho di nka ka seriti, hape ho ruta babadi hore na ba ka sebetsana jwang le ditaba tsena ka katleho. Diphetho le ditlhahiso tsa thuto ena di tla thusa ho phahamisa dithothokiso tsa Sesotho hara dipuo tse ding tsa matsoalloa e le tse lokelang ho shejwa le ho hlahlobisiswa ka pono ea thuto, haholoholo mabapi le popo ea lefu, masoabi le tahlehelo dithothokisong