Elements of humour in selected works of S.M. Burns-ncamashe

S.M. Burns-Ncamashe’s literary works (both poetry and prose) display an extensive employment of humour. This is not surprising as the author himself seems to have been a humorist by nature. The idea of his having been a humorist and the manifestation of this element in his writings are confirmed by Pahl in the introductory part of Burns-Ncamashe (1979), where he points out that Burns-Ncamashe’s writings are full of humour and that, wherever Burns-Ncamashe would be, people would not stop laughing because of his humorous nature. It is for the manifestation of this aspect in the literary works of Burns-Ncamashe that the discussion in this paper is undertaken. In this discussion attention will be given to the definition of the concept of humour, its types as well as its significance.