Truthfulness and jealousy in Tendamudzimu Robert Ratshitanga’s Vhungoho na Vivho

Abstract

This article explores how Ratshiṱanga’s poem Vhungoho na Vivho [Truthfulness and Jealousy] employs metaphor and personification to portray the moral conflict between truthfulness and jealousy within the Tshivenḓa cultural context. While Tshivenḓa literature is rich in moral and philosophical content, limited scholarly attention has been given to how figurative language reinforces these narratives in poetry. Through qualitative textual analysis and close reading, the article investigates how Ratshiṱanga’s poetic techniques emphasise the triumph of truthfulness over jealousy. The study is guided by a moral-critical approach, supported by a functional perspective on figurative language, to examine both the ethical dimensions of the poem and the communicative role of metaphor and personification in conveying moral meaning within Tshivenḓa culture.
Contribution: The findings aim to demonstrate the role of figurative language in moral instruction and cultural preservation, thereby contributing to the critical appreciation of Tshivenḓa poetry as a vehicle for transmitting societal values.