How do the poets represent the importance of 'roots' in their poetry?
Consider how the social and cultural identity of the poets is paramount
to the development of the main themes.
Other Cultures
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How do the poets represent the importance of 'roots' in their poetry?
Consider how the social and cultural identity of the poets is
paramount to the development of the main themes.
The four poems that I will be comparing all describe how the poets
feel about their roots, background and cultural heritage. Although
they are all based on the same issue, they have many different
features that are quite different.
John Agard is the author of 'Half-Caste'. He was born in Guyana and
then moved to Britain in 1977. In 'Half-Caste' the poet is feeling
discriminated and he wants to put across that he is one person and by
calling him half-caste, they are taking away half of his identity.
The author of 'Search For My Tongue' is Sujata Bhatt. She was born in
India in 1956 and then moved to the USA in the 1960s. She now lives in
Germany. In 'Search For My Tongue' the poet can speak two different
languages, her original language and her second language, English. She
is saying that her original language is being forgotten, but then
discovers that it is returning and progressing.
'Nothing's Changed' was written in South Africa in 1997 by Tatamkhulu
Afrika. The poem is autobiographical and was written after apartheid
had been abolished in 1994. In 'Nothing's Changed' the poet is saying
that even though apartheid had been abolished, he still feels that
racism is still around him and he feels that nothing has changed.
Moniza Alvi wrote 'Presents From My Aunts In Pakistan'. She was born
in Pakistan in ...
... middle of paper ...
...ates this she
also wants to be able to feel the same way about her new home in
Britain. Even though she says she is,
'of no fixed nationality',
the poet still knows in her heart that she wants to celebrate and be
proud of her roots in Pakistan.
From reading and understanding the four poems, I have learnt that
people from ethnic backgrounds can face terrible hardship and that
even after large amounts of discrimination drilled into their heads,
they still feel proud of their roots and identity. However I have also
learnt that by having their roots discriminated against, losing their
roots or even not knowing what exactly their roots are, can deeply
sadden the people and make them irritated. People react differently to
these and we should acknowledge that to make people in situations like
those in the poems to feel happier and at ease with themselves.
that her house is all hers now and the she has left an inheritance for her.
...latively normal and happy life with her family in their new home in Vermont by adjusting to her new mental environment.
move from house to house. She is miserable in all of them, but they are
During her life event, her family journey to the America for reason of setting up of the
When she was younger, her and her family moved to California. She attended an all girls private school. She later graduated from the University of California
before moving on to work as a commercial artist and a teacher. She married a fellow artist
Chicago and then moved to Grand Rapids when she was 2 years old. Her father
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was born in Vienna, Austria in 1909, where she lived with her parents until the
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her home because she unwilling to accept life without him. She is scared of losing things and life
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