“Haunted Still by Memories”: John Eppel’s Post-Settler Plant Poetic

Abstract

Bulawayo-based writer John Eppel is gaining increased prominence and acceptance as Zimbabwe’s premier satirist, in both poetry and prose. Early critics, even fellow poets, failed to read the coruscating and self-referential nature of that satire, and poems treating the natural world were too easily dismissed as Romantic “white” nostalgia. A closer reading reveals a subtler range of questions, exploring the relations between white or Rhodesian identity and nature (especially flowers), between satire and belonging, between seasonal ephemerality and political uncertainty, between literary allusion and sensual immediacy, poetic form and historical turbulence. Above all, many of Eppel’s plant-focused poems treat the layered and conflicting demands of memory. This article explores these questions over thirty years of Eppel’s production (from Spoils of War [1989] to Together [2011]) and through three interlocking phases or aspects: childhood, war and political transition, and post-Independence disillusionment.

Opsomming

Die digter en prosaskrywer John Eppel van Bulawayo word toenemend erken as Zimbabwe se voorste satirikus. Vroeë kritici en selfs mededigters kon die aard van sy skitterende en selfverwysende satire nie na waarde skat nie, en sy natuurgedigte is afgemaak as Romantiese “wit” nostalgie. Die noulettende leser word egter gekon-fronteer met subtiele vrae oor die verband tussen wit of Rhodesiese identiteit en die natuur (veral blomme); tussen satire en die behoefte om iewers te hoort; tussen seisoenale verganklikheid en politieke onsekerheid; en tussen literêre verwysings en sensuele onmiddellikheid, digvorm en historiese onstuimigheid. Bowenal Eppel se plantgedigte handel oor die gelaagde en teenstrydige eise wat herinneringe stel. In hierdie artikel word hierdie vrae verken. Dit omvat dertig jaar van Eppel se produksie (van Spoils of War (1989) tot Together (2011)) en drie ineengrypende fases of aspekte, te wete: kinderjare, oorlog en politieke oorgang, en ontgogeling ná on-afhanklikheid.