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Poems From Different Cultures Essay - Please Mark/Grade

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Original post by LeaX
Thank you for taking your time to read these. :smile:
The question was "Compare the methods the poet uses to show strong feelings in ?Half-Caste? with the methods another poet uses to show strong feelings in one other poem". It's so frustrating how much worse I do when I handwrite the answers compared to when I type them. :/ Lol

Again, thank you so much. :biggrin:


Did you type the last one up?
Reply 21
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blossomx
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Original post by the_neg_master_
Did you type the last one up?


Nope, the one where you said I was an A, possibly A*, was typed up.
Original post by LeaX
Nope, the one where you said I was an A, possibly A*, was typed up.


Right.. back at school, some of my classmates used the computer/laptop for their exams.. not sure why they used it though but maybe u cud ask ur exam officer/teacher if u think typing ur exams up is more comfortable for u
Reply 23
Avatar for blossomx
blossomx
OP
20
Original post by the_neg_master_
Right.. back at school, some of my classmates used the computer/laptop for their exams.. not sure why they used it though but maybe u cud ask ur exam officer/teacher if u think typing ur exams up is more comfortable for u


I'm not going to see my English teacher until after the exam so I don't think I can ask her. Would you mind marking another one of my answers, please? :smile:

How does Sujata Bhatt show that identity is important in ‘from Search For My Tongue’? Compare the methods she uses with the methods another poet uses to show that identity is important in one other poem.

‘Search For My Tongue’ (‘SFMT’) and ‘Hurricanes Hit England’ (‘HHE’) both share a common theme of identity and how it influences our day-to-day life. ‘SFMT’ and ‘HHE’ together show show your cultural identity is within you; it’s not constricted to a certain place. However, the two poets show this in different ways. In SFMT, Bhatt’s emotional response to the language shows its importance. Whereas in HHE, Nichols’ final conclusion of ‘the earth is the earth’ and her response to this epiphany show importance.

Language is a method used in both poems to show identity’s importance. Both poems use a physical thing metaphorically, too. In SFMT, it’s her tongue. Whereas in HHE, it’s the hurricane.In SFMT, the two tongues (languages) conflict in her (both physically and metaphorically). The two toungues would be squashed; there’s clearly not enough room in someone’s mouth for two tongues. This reflects her struggles on knowing two languages: the ‘mother tongue’ and the ‘foreign tongue’. This is effective in showing Bhatt’s dilemma and concerns. As a reader, I empathise with her as I understand that it must be difficult and frustrating. Additionally, the metaphor of the language being used metaphorically is continued. This time, however, Bhatt’s views on forgetting the language is described as the tongue beginning to ‘rot’ and ‘die’ so it gets ‘spit’ out. Then, continuing the metaphor, when she dreams in Gujarati it ‘grows back’ and ‘blossoms’. These contrasting verbs provide effective imagery, accurately conveying her thoughts. The verbs ‘rot’, ‘die’, ‘grow’ and ‘blossom’ also have plany connotations. This is effective as plants die in the wrong environment, just as a language would ‘die’ in a foreign language speaking environment. The plant connotations may have also been used to show that the language will never disappear and be forgotten completely and will always ‘grow back’, just as plants re-grow every spring. Differing from this is HHE. In HHE, the physical hurricane is used as pathetic fallacy to represent her internal situation; hurricanes effect areas permanently and the hurricane effects Nichols permanently, too. She has a life-changing ephiphany which rids her of home-sickness and breaks the ‘frozen lake’ within her; the lake being her unemotional, cold state. This ‘hurricane’ of thoughts are reflected in the fast-pace of the chant-like stanza:
‘Talk to me, Hurrican
Talk to me, Oya
Talk to me, Shango”
The repetition of ‘talk to me’ also emphasises the speed of the poem and shows her excitement towards the hurricane.

Structure is also used. In SFMT, the poem is written in three stanzas; the first and last, English, the middle, Gujarati. The fact that Gujarati is in the middle emphasises that it’s within her roots and identity. It could also show how it’ll never be forgotten. The fact that there is only one stanza is Gujarati but two are English could show how she feels English is almost ‘smothering’ and dominating her. Whereas in HHE, the fact that the poem is written in third person at the beginning but in first person in the following stanzas show the awakening the hurricane has brought; she is now less distant from herself.

In conclusion, both poems effectively show identity’s importance. SFMT shows the emotional connection she has with her mother tongue as it makes her feel closer to her culture. Whereas, HHE shows how the hurricane brings her closer to her Caribbean roots. Both poems show how feeling disconnected from your roots can affect your life. This made me emphasise with both poets and feel embarrassed at my lack of awareness of how immigrants struggle in a foreign country.

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