Compare and Contrast the Poetry of James Berry and John Betjeman, with

Compare and Contrast the Poetry of James Berry and John Betjeman, with

particular reference to the Cultural Differences. Refer to at Least

two Poems by each Poet

James Berry's poems are written from the perspective of a lady named

Lucy. Lucy moved to England because she had heard the streets were

practically paved with gold there. She writes letters to her friend

Leela in the form of poems. Lucy regrets her move to England in a lot

of ways and finds it gloomy and cold. She misses Jamaica and doesn't

really like London but she is too proud to admit that, so her letters

also contain a number of positive yet vain sounding points about the

advantages of living in England, such as, "An' doctors free." Lucy

writes of how she has, "turned a battery hen," in the poem 'Lucy's

Letters' because she feels trapped in London. She was used to a

relaxed and friendly way of life in Jamaica so the culture in London

came as a big shock to her. London is a lot bigger and much less

friendly than Jamaica. In Jamaica everyone knows each other so Leela

asked Lucy in a letter to her if she'd ever met the Queen. Lucy is

used to the unspoilt beauty of the Jamaican scenery so London comes as

a big change. She describes it to Leela as:

"A parish

Of a pasture-lan what

Grown crisscross streets."

In Jamaica Lucy could leave her door unlocked but write of how she

can't do that in London:

"I carry keys everywhere

Life here's no open summer."

She sees the lifestyle as monotonous because every day seems the same.

She feels in some ways that she doesn't really belong in London. In

the poem 'From Lucy: Englan' Lady' she describes the Queen as being,

"Like she a space touris'," because she is somewhat alienated from the

res...

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...tional. Berry, however, uses

Creole phrases and grammar in his poetry. In the poem 'Lucy's Letter,'

Berry uses the phrase, " I long for we labrish bad," meaning Lucy

longs to gossip without restraint. Berry uses figures of speech in his

poetry unlike Betjeman. For instance, in the poem 'Lucy's Letter',

Berry uses the metaphor, "I really a sponge" and in 'From Lucy:

Englan' Lady,' he uses similes such as, " Like a seagull flyin' slow

slow."

Berry and Betjeman have very different writing styles, partly because

of the influences of their very different cultures. Berry's easy going

Jamaican upbringing is reflected in his poetry through his use of

Creole and the structure of his poetry. Betjeman reflects his English

upbringing through his regular, ordered stanzas. Although they are

very different they both work very well and make for very enjoyable

reading.