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poetry help

what does identity meant?
or personal/national

i don't get it and don't know how it links in either kamikaze or checking out me history
Check out Mr Bruff's analysis on youtube! They'll save English for you
Reply 2
Original post by ehruhure
what does identity meant?
or personal/national

i don't get it and don't know how it links in either kamikaze or checking out me history


Identity is about who you are.
It links to Kamikaze, Checking Out Me History, and also The Emigree, all three are about people questioning their identity to some extent.

In Kamikaze, the speaker is the daughter of a Kamikaze pilot in the second world war. These were Japanese pilots who were sent out on to crash their planes into enemy warships. The soldier, to the horror of his family, returned home and did not go ahead with the suicide mission. This was considered dishonourable and cowardice to the family, who practically disowned him after. The poem links to identity, as it explores the idea of sacrifice and honour for the greater good of a country, and the effects that Conflict can have on an individual's identity, in this case, it had extremely negative consequences. He becomes isolated from the family, and his identity is stripped from him because of his decision.
It also talks about national identity, and the sacrifices a country are willing to make in order to succeed in Conflict. In this case, human life (the lives of the Kamikaze pilots) is not as important as the defeat of the enemy in order to win the war.

In Checking Out Me History, John Agard talks about being a black man, and speaks on behalf of his race on the injustice of the history taught to him, and other children in schools, the majority of which covers only White History. His poem makes fun of the silly details we are taught about nursery rhymes in school 'Dem tell Me bout de cat that jump over de moon', whilst arguing that important black figures 'But dem never tell me bout Nanny de Maroon', who are under recognised, but have made a far more important contribution to our society. In the poem, he talks about finding his own identity outside of what he has been taught, and emphasises the importance of Black History for black people to discover their true identity.

Hope this helps.
(edited 6 years ago)

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