Comparing and contrasting three poems that portray the yearning to belong.

The first 200 words of this essay...

Comparing and contrasting three poems that portray the yearning to belong.

Meghna Gordhan Harjani

Candidate Number: 36

Centre Number: 91543

Emirates International School

Teacher: Mrs. Pam Parasram

Grade 11 English Literature Poetry Coursework

Edexcel

Comparing and contrasting three poems that portray the yearning to belong.

We all long to be a part of something and to feel accepted, irrespective of age, culture and society. Similarly, Stephen Spender's poem, "My Parents kept Me from Children who were Rough", Moniza Alvi's "An Unknown Girl" and Phyllis McCormack's "Crabbit Old Woman" talk about how each of the poets long to be a part of a certain society or culture, and this longing outlines the underlying theme across all three poems.

My Parents kept Me from Children who were Rough is about childhood bullying and regret. The narrator experiences bullying at a young age and I sense a feeling of regret as the poet wished he could be a part of the group of rough boys. I get the impression that the narrator, now at his adult stage, feels that he did not make the most of his childhood, and this was perhaps