Poetry Belonging

I Remember context Thomas Hood (1914)

Son of bookseller, dad died early, Fragile health, suffered bouts of illness, troubled finance, Worked as a counting house and an engraver,Became an invalid by 41

we refugees context Benjamin Zephaniah (2000)

Grew up in Jamaica, moved to Birmingham,Significant discrimination being dyslexic and black, classed as (outsider),Left school at 14, moved to London at 21, published first collection 1980, Mother came to England during "Windrush" generation

Island Man context Grace Nichols (1984)

Born in Guyana and moved to England in 1960s. Concentrates on Caribbean culture, identity and separation. Island man hints at double identity and from 2 different islands. Idyllic warm island of home and island of Great Britain.

Captain Cook (To My Brother) context Landon (1800s)

Landon and brother were close. paid for his uni but brother was cruel and spread rumours about marriage. Forced to live in London after agricultural depression. Captain cook = explorer - NZ, AUS, Hawaiian islands

In Wales, wanting to be Italian context Imtiaz Dharker (2014)

Born in Lahore 1954. Lives in Bombay, Glasgow, Wales, referenced in poem. Vespa = scooter, popular at time of Dharker growing up. Freddie Mercury reference - moved to UK during Zanzibar revolution.

Mild the Mist Upon The Hill context Emily Bronte (1839)

Written under pseudonym Ellis Bell, Silent, reserved and not married, Victorian writer from literary Bronte family, Poem is a lyrical ballad

Sunday Dip Context John Clare (1800)

Romantic poet, achieved success in 1820, From a poor family, received formal schooling, argicultural labourer from childhood ,Sunday Dip shows how Sunday was reserved for swimming in the local lake

To My Sister context William Wordsworth (1798)

Romantic poet, recovering from depression, Sister called Dorothy who is directly addressed in the poem, Contrasts the problems of the world and how God + nature are powerful

Kumukanda context Kayo Chingonyi (2017)

Born in Zambia in 1987 and moved to UK in 1993. Focuses on heritage and race. Talks about being a hybrid and not accepted by either side. Poem means "initiation". Describes Luvale tribe initiation ceremony for young men. crossing river = die & reborn as adults

Clear and Gentle Stream context Robert Bridges (1873)

Doctor retired to writer. Literary scholar, religious, wrote hymns. Various literary styles and influence of spirituality and nature. Poem set to music and sung.

My Mother's Kitchen context Choman Hardi (2004)

Born in Iraq. Came to England = 1993. Focus on overcoming adversity, own struggles (personal + political). Written 2004 after Iraq war. mismatched belonging + lack of sentimentality reflect immigrant lives and moving around a lot.

The Emigree context Carol Rumens (1993)

British born, focuses on themes of persecution, love, separation, death, Emigrant - has to leave home country and find a home somewhere else, About people who have to leave at birth and settle in another country

Peckham Rye Lane context Amy Blakemore (2007)

Amy lives in London and poem about experiences. In south LDN. Variety of race + age, reference to Primark/KFC. On a bus in poem to get around city but also to show her journey

Jamaican British context Raymond Atrobus (2018)

British Mum and Jamaican Dad. dual heritage reflected in poem as he is searching for identity. - aware of historical struggles when Jamaica was colonised. - British "enslaved us" as well as taking "plantation lineage"

Us Context Zaffar Kunial (2018)

Title could refer to a personal relationship or how we should bridge our differences, Be more unified and tolerant of people from diverse backgrounds, Mother - English, Dad - Pakistani. poetry often refers to identity and cultural heritage also the nature of language

I Remember - form and structure quote + explain

ABCBDEFE rhyme scheme gives the poem a feeling of motion from past to present

I remember I remember - Imagery

the morning sun, the bright flowers and the air to describe his past but refers to the night, heavy spirits and long days to show the present. Underlines carefree nature of youth and burden of adulthood

I remember I remember - Personification

"The sun came peeping in at morn" emphasises childhood innocence. The sun is his friend and makes the day go by quickly

I remember I remember - Repetition

"I remember, I remember" anaphora and refrain of this line at the start of each stanza shows a significant memory that is being recalled.

We refugees - form and structure quote + explain

10 stanzas. Two longer stanzas with repetition and add emphasis to the main messages. No rhyme scheme = natural and argumentative.

We Refugees - Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns "We" and "I" addresses reader directly, ensures we know that these are the poet's views

We Refugees - Anaphora/repetition

"We can all" anaphora/repetition underlines importance of immigration as it could happen to anyone and is an important issue

We Refugees - Imagery

"I come from a musical place / where they shoot me for my song" imagery to show how something beautiful can become negative + dangerous

To My Sister - form and structure quote + explain

10 quatrain, AB rhyme scheme regular rhyme and simple structure adds to the sense of calm and allows us to feel the beauty of nature

To My Sister - Personification

"Our minds shall drink in every pore/the spirit of the season" allows reader to see importance of nature and enjoy seasons

To My Sister - Alliteration and Contrast

"Bare" repetition to describe landscape. CONTRAST with "grass in the green field" how seasons change and landscape will alter

To My Sister - Repetition

Repeats line 14-16 adds symmetry, wants everyone to forget responsibilities for one day and be at one with the world

The Emigree - form and structure quote + explain

3 stanzas, free verse lack of structure + rhythm shows scattered thoughts as they look back to the past

The Emigree - simile

"Docile as paper" simile highlights fragility of the place also her memories of it are calm and reassuring

The Emigree - metaphor

"Bright, filled paperweight" memory of city is fixed and idealised and can never be broken

The Emigree - repetition

"Sunlight" repetition at end of each stanza. Describes old city, highlights the idealised view of her old place as she sees it as bright and warm

Peckham - form and structure quote + explain

No set R.S and structure. some alternate rhyme "desperation/perspiration". Lack of form and meter mimic "stop-start" nature of bus journey and busyness

Peckham - Simile

number of sea based similes - 'like salted jellyfish -tentacle pink'. Natural for London and the beauty of urban and busy scene.

Peckham - Imagery

"pink, grandmother mauve, rainbow". colour imagery shows diff ages of customers in Primark. natural images to describe haircuts of ppl. "seed beads, cornflower scrunchies"

Peckham - Metaphor

"as damp and crammed as a coconut shell" - cramped and busy road. "tight" shows bus doesn't have space

Peckham + Island Man

Amy and Nichols talk about London in poems using irregular form and structure. Amy's 1st person narrative is more positive than Nichols' 3rd person which is more reflective and nostalgic.

Island Man - form and structure quote + explain

5 stanza, no RS. First half is warm, inviting island until he wakes up in cold urban environment of London

Island Man - Personification

Personifies sun as 'surfacing defiantly' over 'his' island. adds to idyllic nature of island.

Island Man - Imagery

"blue surf, wombing(safety), emerald island" - warm and bright. "dull, grey metallic" - contrast and refer to London. Sibilance underline noise in London (sands, surge)

Island Man - Repetition

"groggily, muffling" - monotony of urban life. repeating to add emphasis to dream-like state.

Kumukanda - form and structure quote + explain

3 stanzas cover certain part of life of poet. 1st = Luvale ritual + "old life". 2nd = Poet's reality + upbringing. 3rd = brings 2 separate lives together

Kumukanda - Repetition + Alliteration

double letters in 2nd line shows loop of ceremony and procession. Repetition of "father" show importance of heritage, family.

Kumukanda - Imagery

poignant imagery - "child, boys, river, grown" idea of rebirth. "yellow suit + white shoes" use of colour to show death. 3rd = metaphorical meeting of 2 ppl. poignant as he left his heritage behind.

Kumukanda - Enjambment

The first stanza is one sentence which shows cyclical nature of life and Kumukanda ceremony. allows reader to follow thoughts and feelings

Jamaican British - form and structure quote + explain

Ghazal - ancient Iranian form (14 - 17 beats a line). Blurs lines about purist ideas about sound of a poem

Jamaican British - Imagery

"Anglo, black, half-caste, English" - race and skin colour imagery. contrasting image to show struggle with identity and how to deal with ignorance. "some people, deny, no way"

Jamaican British - List of three

describe Jamaican attributes. layering word in quick succession = misconceptions + prejudices at him. "callaloo, plantain, jerk chicken"

Jamaican British - Repetition

"Jamaican, British" - motif of dual heritage. separated with comma shows how kids don't understand how he can be both

Jamaican British + Kumukanda

Both poems discuss identity and how the poets feel about their two distinct selves.

We Refugees + The Emigree

Rumens written in 1st person about a refugee - had to move from her homeland to a new, unfriendly place. Zephaniah's poem, is personal although Zephaniah has a more strident and warning tone.