D. J. Opperman

Opperman studied at University of Cape Town, University of Natal and Estcourt High School. The recorded working language is Afrikaans. Employment is recorded with Huisgenoot, University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University. Works named in the authority record are Komas uit 'n bamboesstok, Heilige beeste, Joernaal van Jorik, Dolosse, Blom en baaierd and Voëlvry. Distinctions recorded are Hertzog Prize, W.A. Hofmeyr Prize and Central News Agency Literary Award.

• Name — D.J. Opperman • Birth Name — Diederik (Dirk) Johannes Opperman • Born — 10 09 29 • Birthplace — Natal Province • Died — 22 September 1985 • Place of death — Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa • Occupation — Poet • Language — Afrikaans • Citizenship — South African • Spouse — Marié van Reenen • Children — 3 daughters, including Trienke Laurie

He was born on 29 September 1914 in Dundee in Natal, where he grew up. He went to school in the towns of Estcourt and Vryheid, and afterwards received an M.A. degree from the University of Natal. He taught at schools in Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and later on became editor of Die Huisgenoot. In 1949 he became a lecturer at the University of Cape Town. During this period he completed one of his most important publications – Digters van Dertig (Poets of the thirties) – in 1953. He won the prestigious Hertzog prize for poetry in 1947 for his collection Heilige beeste ("Holy cattle"). From 1960 to 1975 he was a professor of Afrikaans at Stellenbosch University, where he also served on the editorial board of the publication Standpunte ("Points of View"). He died in 1985 in Stellenbosch. He won four Hertzog prizes (in 1947, 1956, 1969 and 1980), four Hofmeyer prizes (in 1954, 1956, 1966 and 1980), two CNA Prizes (in 1964 and 1980), a prize from the "Drie-Eeue Stigting" ("Three Centuries Foundation") in 1956, the Louis Luyt-prize in 1980 and the Gustav Preller prize for literary criticism in 1985. The South African composers Cromwell Everson and Prof Piet de Villiers wrote music for some of Opperman's poems, such as Kontraste and Nagstorm oor die see.

• Heilige Beeste ("Holy cows" 1945) • Negester oor Ninevé ("Nine star over Niniveh" • Joernaal van Jorik ("The Journal of Jorik" 1949) • Engel uit die klip ("Angel from the Stone" 1948) • Blom en baaierd ("Flower and Chaos" or "Flower and Rubble" 1948) • Dolosse ("Large T-shaped concrete bollards used to curb waves breaking close to infrastructure") • Kuns-mis ("Fertilizer") • Edms. Bpk ("Pty. Ltd") • Komas uit 'n bamboesstok ("Comas from a Bamboo Pole" 1979) • Sproeireën ("Tiny drops" 1987)

• Periandros van Korinthe ("Periandros of Corinth" 1954) • Vergelegen (A place name, lit. "faraway" 1956) • Voëlvry ("Outlaw"; lit. "bird-free" 1987)

Tiny Drops - 1987 • "My girlfriend is in a tangerine, my grandmother in cinnamon, there's someone...someone in aniseed, there's a woman in every aroma! "If take a tangerine peel bend it between my fingers and snap, out break tiny droplets which instill scent from my hand, the orchards again of Swartfoloos and with tangerines around me I know how to comfort a woman • My girlfriend is in a tangerine, my grandmother in cinnamon, there's someone...someone in aniseed, there's a woman in every flavour!" The poem forms an extended metaphor whereby the tiny droplets produced by the cracking of a peel is compared to memories. This comparison leans heavily into the idea of smells being able to bring a person to a moment in the past. The translation of the poem does not fully convey this point as effectively as in the original, Afrikaans.

What the record establishes about D. Opperman is recorded with the occupation university teacher. Opperman is recorded with the occupation writer. Opperman is recorded with the occupation poet. Opperman is recorded as poet, writer and university teacher.