The thought of his wife allowed Breyten Breytenbach to escape from the horrors of his surroundings in prison and gave him psychological freedom; word from her let him escape into a world of space, peace and freedom created for him in her letters, memories of being together with his wife transported him psychologically to another time and place where he had been free.

Breytenbach's poem your letter is delightful... shows the important role that his wife plays in his life. She is his "God", for even as God's powers become useless in the chaotic world around him, she is able to bring him joy and hope and free his mind. Breytenbach compares his wife to God in this poem by using biblical allusions.

The letter from his wife is "...lighter than the thoughts of a flower when the dream is the earth of a garden..." She brings light into his world, just as God brings light to the world at the beginning of time. With her letter comes images of light, of freedom, of joy. The "earth of a garden" brings to mind the

Space, psychological or physical, is linked with freedom, and in your letter is delightful there is a lot of imagery concerning large, open spaces. Breytenbach's wife's letter is "larger and lighter than the thoughts of a flower", and as it opens, "there is an unfolding of sky... of ample spaces". As soon as the letter opens, there is a sense of release from confinement. Unfolding suggests opening, loosening, as if the ties that bound him as a prisoner are coming loose. The image of sky is of vast expanse of space, of freedom to soar in all directions, not being confined to the ground - there are no boundaries in the sky, it is an infinite space. His thoughts are, therefore, with her letter, free to soar in any direction with no boundaries. That is shown in the style of most of the poem (the parts that deal with the letter) - it is a steady stream of thought which roams in all directions.

Breytenbach's wife needs to replace God in Breytenbach's life because God seems to have forsaken him. "I slept in green pastures" is an allusion to Psalm 23, but "sleep" is used in the past tense, emphasising that the peace that God gave him is no longer his. "the table before me, in the presence of my enemies, / is bare; I have ash on my head, my cup is empty..." is another biblical allusion, but in Psalm 23, God has furnished his table and anointed his head with oil, and the cup overflows. And so, Breytenbach "fled" to his wife's letter, escaped. This also shows that God is no longer able to help Breytenbach escape from his misery, as his wife alone can.

The poem contains many allusions to Psalm 23, "The Lord is my shepherd", which reinforces this role of Breytenbach's wife. "...allow me to live in your letter / all the days of my life" is an allusion to the part of Psalm 23 "...and I shall dwell i

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1221
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)