Untitled Flashcards Set

‘Singh Song!’ by Daljit Nagra


First impressions

🖉  How do you think the speaker is feeling?

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‘chapatti’ 🡪

‘plantain’ 🡪



‘Sikh’ 🡪


‘Punjabi’ 🡪



‘precinct’ 🡪

Translator

🖳

a flat Indian bread

a fruit that resembles a small banana

a religious sect commonly found in India

one of India’s languages


grounds


Let’s take a closer look 

🖉  Answer the following questions by providing quotes and analysis. Think PEA - point, example, analysis.


Stanza 1

I run just one ov my daddy's shops 


from 9 o'clock to 9 o'clock 


and he vunt me not to hav a break 


but ven nobody in, I do di lock –


  • How is the father / son relationship represented in the first three lines of the poem?  What can we infer about the Indian work ethic? 

The father of the man doesn't want the son to have a break so he could monitor the shop instead of dilly dallying out getting distracted, this can tell us that the Indians have a systematic crazy work ethic. 


  • The use of connectives in this first stanza is very interesting.  For example, the connective, ‘and’, emphasizes the father’s hard-working attitude and strict role as father.  What is the effect of the connective, ‘but’?

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Stanzas 4 – 7: Singh’s Wife


Above my head high heel tap di ground 


as my vife on di web is playing wid di mouse

ven she netting two cat on her Sikh lover site

she book dem for di meat at di cheese ov her price –







  • What does Singh’s wife do and how may that differ from the traditional Indian marriages?

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  • Considering what you may know about the Indian culture, how would you describe Singh’s wife? What do you think the Indian community’s reaction to her might be?

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my bride 
     

she effing at my mum 
     

in all di colours of Punjabi 
     

den stumble like a drunk 
     

making fun at my daddy


my bride 
     

tiny eyes ov a gun 
     

and di tummy ov a teddy


my bride 
     

she hav a red crew cut 
     

and she wear a Tartan sari 
     

a donkey jacket and some pumps 
     

on di squeak ov di girls dat are pinching my sweeties –


🖉  Draw a picture of Singh’s wife below by using the details from stanzas five, six and seven.  Surround your picture with quotes which support your interpretation.  
















Stanza 9

Late in di midnight hour 


ven yoo shoppers are wrap up quiet 


ven di precinct is concrete-cool 


vee cum down whispering stairs 


and sit on my silver stool, 
from behind di chocolate bars 

vee stare past di half-price window signs

at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon –


Name three poetic techniques used in this stanza.  What are their effects?

1. __________________

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2. __________________

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3. __________________

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Stanza 10 -13

from di stool each night she say, 
     

How much do yoo charge for dat moon baby?


from di stool each night I say, 
     

Is half di cost ov yoo baby,


from di stool each night she say,

 
     How much does dat come to baby?


from di stool each night I say,

 
     Is priceless baby -  


  • Based on the exchange of dialogue, how does Singh view his wife?

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  • How would you describe Singh and his life? Think about his responses to other people, his work, his wife, etc.

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M I L T S🖉  Complete the table below with what you consider to be the most important quotes and poetic devices within each category.


meaning

imagery



tone



Structure and Form





Language