POETRY ANTHOLOGY

A DIFFERENT HISTORY - SUJATA BHATT

CONTEXT Modern reflection on the clash between sacred traditions and colonial influence in India. critiques the imposition of foreign language and the destruction of cultural reverence. emphasises the sacredness of nature, books, and language in India.

speaker highlights the violence language can carry, and the paradox of learning to love the very language that was used to oppress.

THEMES

Cultural Reverence – Importance of respecting nature, books, and language.

Colonialism and Language – Language as both a tool of oppression and an adopted medium of expression.

Sacredness of Knowledge – Books, trees, and words hold divine significance.

Irony of Colonisation – The oppressed grow to love the language that once caused harm.

TECHNIQUES

Direct Address: You must learn, Confrontational tone encouraging respect for cultural values.

Imagery: Every tree is sacred, You must learn how to turn the pages gently, Visual imagery reflecting respect for nature and knowledge.

Allusion: Sarasvati (goddess of knowledge) – Symbolises the sanctity of wisdom and cultural heritage.

Rhetorical Questions: Which language has not been the oppressor’s tongue? – Critiques the historical violence of colonization.

STRUCTURE

Free verse – No set rhyme or meter, reflecting the disruption caused by colonialism.

Stanzas of varying length – Mirrors the complexity of the relationship between colonization and culture.

Repetition – Emphasises the importance of reverence and respect in Indian culture.

QUOTES

It is a sin to shove a book aside with your foot. – call for respect and reverence for knowledge.

Which language has not been the oppressor’s tongue? Reflects the complexity of language as both oppressor and vehicle for cultural survival.

grandchildren grow to love that strange language. Irony of cultural assimilation through the language of the coloniser.

TONE

Reverent

Critical

Reflective

Ironic

WHERE I COME FROM - ELIZABETH BREWSTER

CONTEXT

Reflective poem contrasting urban vs rural life.

Explores how people are shaped by the places they grow up in or live.

Brewster reflects on her personal identity and emotional connection to her rural roots in Canada.

Emphasizes the psychological impact of environment on memory and character.

THEMES

Urban vs rural – contrast between artificial and natural worlds.

Memory and identity – people carry the essence of their birthplace.

Nature and simplicity – rural life is peaceful, rich in memory and meaning.

Seasons and the mind – mental landscapes are shaped by natural surroundings.

TECHNIQUES

Imagery:

City – smell of smog, chromium-plated offices, glue factories – industrial, cold, artificial.

Countryside – acres of pine woods, blueberry patches, violets grow – natural, nostalgic.

Metaphor:

People are made of places – identity is shaped by environment.

A door in the mind blows open – memory opens up sensory recall.

Sensory language: Smell (smog, glue), sound (clucking), sight (violets), touch (frosty wind).

Contrast: Entire first stanza = city life; second = rural.

Tone: Shifts from detached and observational to nostalgic and personal.

STRUCTURE

Free verse – no regular rhyme/meter = freedom of thought.

Two main sections:

Impersonal urban imagery (third person).

Personal rural reflection (first person).

Ends with a strong image of mental connection to place.

QUOTES

People are made of places – sets the theme of place shaping identity.

Nature tidily plotted in little squares – artificial control over nature in cities.

Blueberry patches in the burned-out bush – beauty and survival in rural life.

Spring and winter are the mind’s chief seasons – emotional rhythm tied to natural cycles.

A door in the mind blows open – power of memory and imagination.

TONE

Observant

Reflective

Nostalgic

Calm

REPORT TO WORDSWORTH - BOEY KIM CHENG

OVERVIEW

Modern environmental elegy written as a direct address to Romantic poet William Wordsworth, known for celebrating the beauty of nature.

The speaker “reports” the destruction of the natural world, implying Wordsworth would be horrified today.

Reflects disillusionment with humanity’s exploitation of nature.

THEMES

Environmental destruction – smog, waste, dying nature.

Loss of nature’s beauty and power – mythical sea gods silenced.

Failure of poetry & faith – human values have declined.

Urgency & despair – calls attention to a global crisis.

TECHNIQUES

Direct address: “You should be here.” – confrontational tone toward Wordsworth.

Personification: “Nature has need of you,” “Nature’s mighty heart is lying still” – nature as a dying being.

Mythological allusion: Proteus, Triton, Neptune – classical figures overwhelmed by pollution, symbolising nature’s lost power.

Imagery: “Smothered by the smog,” “wound widening in the sky,” “beached whale” – vivid, bleak visuals.

Alliteration: “Poetry and piety have begun to fail” – highlights spiritual and artistic failure.

STRUCTURE

Free verse – no set rhyme or meter, mirrors chaos and deterioration.

Single stanza – uninterrupted flow mimics overwhelming destruction.

Builds from natural imagery to a cosmic and spiritual crisis.

QUOTES

“Nature has need of you” – urgent plea for poetic and moral guidance.

“flowers are mute… sky slowing like a dying clock” – silence & death of nature.

“Neptune lies helpless as a beached whale” – nature’s gods defeated.

“Poetry and piety have begun to fail” – human values in crisis.

“God is labouring to utter his last cry” – even divinity is powerless.

TONE

Mournful

Urgent

Critical

Apocalyptic

LAMENT - GILLIAN CLARKE

OVERVIEW

Anti-war / environmental poem written in response to the Gulf War (1991).

A lament = a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.

Highlights the devastating effects of war on nature, people, and the planet.

THEMES

Destruction of nature – oil spills, dying sea life.

Horrors of war – human and animal suffering.

Loss & mourning – lamenting victims of conflict.

Injustice & guilt – implicates humanity’s role in destruction.

TECHNIQUES

Anaphora: Repetition of “For the…” – creates a funeral rhythm & emphasises mourning.

Imagery: Vivid, often disturbing – “funeral silk,” “mortal stain,” “scalded ocean.”

Juxtaposition: Beauty of nature vs. destruction of war – “iridescence” vs. “shadow on the sea.”

Personification: “the whale struck dumb” – gives animals human-like suffering.

Irony: “in it for the music” – contrasts the harsh reality of war.

STRUCTURE

Free verse, no rhyme – reflects chaos of war.

Each stanza focuses on different victims: marine life, soldiers, civilians, nature itself.

Cumulative effect – builds emotional weight as poem progresses.

QUOTES

“green turtle with her pulsing burden” – nature’s fertility turned into suffering.

“the soldier with his uniform of fire” – powerful image of violence.

“the whale struck dumb by the missile’s thunder” – human cruelty silences nature.

“For vengeance, and the ashes of language.” – ends with total destruction, even of communication.

TONE

Mournful

Critical

Evocative

Reflective

THE COCKROACH - KEVIN HALLIGAN

CONTEXT

Modern allegorical poem in which the speaker observes a cockroach's aimless movement and draws parallels to human existence. The mundane subject becomes a metaphor for the unpredictability, confusion, and existential restlessness of life.

The cockroach’s erratic behavior provokes introspection in the speaker, suggesting a deeper, personal identification with its actions.

THEMES

Existential confusion – the cockroach’s unpredictable journey mirrors human uncertainty.

Restlessness and anxiety – the creature becomes a symbol for psychological or spiritual unease.

Self-reflection and identity – ends with the speaker recognising aspects of himself in the cockroach.

Guilt and consequence – hints at a possible past crime or regret (“vicious crime”).

TECHNIQUES

Extended metaphor: The cockroach represents the human condition – aimless wandering and inner turmoil.

Personification: Cockroach appears “uncertain,” “victim of a mild attack,” suggesting human-like feelings.

Enjambment: Smooth, flowing rhythm reflects the cockroach’s continuous motion.

Imagery: “Crooked rings,” “rusty table leg,” “skirting a ball of dust” – vivid, detailed observations grounding the metaphor in reality.

Tone shift: From observational to introspective – final lines turn inward.

STRUCTURE

Single stanza – reflects the uninterrupted movement and thought progression.

Regular rhyme scheme (ABAB) – controlled structure contrasts with chaotic movement, enhancing theme of inner conflict.

Concludes with volta – shift from description to personal reflection in final two lines.

QUOTES

He seemed quite satisfied to trace / A path… – illusion of purpose.

Jog in crooked rings – confused, repetitive motion.

As if the victim of a mild attack / Of restlessness… – metaphor for anxiety or emotional disturbance.

Except I thought I recognised myself. – revelation and identification, linking cockroach to human behavior.

TONE

Observational

Puzzled

Reflective

Introspective

STORYTELLER - LIZ LOCHHEAD

CONTEXT

A nostalgic and lyrical tribute to oral storytelling, particularly in a domestic and communal setting. The poem honours the tradition of women passing on stories while engaging in household labor, showing how storytelling is woven into everyday life and sustains cultural memory.

The speaker reflects on the power and magic of storytelling, especially in childhood, elevating it from casual pastime to essential work and art.

THEMES

Storytelling as labor and art – stories are practical and powerful, integral to life and work.

Feminine strength and tradition – women’s roles in preserving culture and community.

Memory and childhood – stories lingering in the minds of children, shaping identity.

Cycle of day and night – storytelling as part of life’s rhythms, recurring with dusk and dreams.

TECHNIQUES

Domestic imagery: “scoured table,” “corn was grated,” “darning done” – grounds the storytelling in daily chores.

Alliteration: “singlest strongest,” “crumb of daylight” – adds lyrical rhythm and texture.

Metaphor: “gathering thin air to the singlest strongest thread” – portrays storytelling as weaving or spinning, magical creation from nothing.

Personification: “stories dissolved,” “hung themselves upside down” – stories become living beings that hide and reawaken.

Contrast: day vs night, work vs imagination – shows the duality of practical life and creative spirit.

STRUCTURE

Free verse – no fixed rhyme or meter, reflects the natural rhythm of oral storytelling.

Loose stanza divisions – reflect the passage of time from dusk to dawn, blending narration and memory.

Cumulative structure – builds from setting to action to reflection, like a story being told.

QUOTES

“No one could say the stories were useless” – affirms their value alongside physical labor.

“To tell the stories was her work” – redefines storytelling as a legitimate, even sacred task.

“gathering thin air to the singlest strongest thread” – poetic metaphor for the creative act.

“they flew again / in the storytellers night” – shows the lasting, magical power of stories.

TONE

Reverent

Warm

Nostalgic

Magical