Significantly, both poets include very negative attitudes towards their new cultures. For example in ‘Search for my tongue’ the poet uses words like “rot” and “die” when she feels her mother tongue is being lost to her new language. Similarly, in ‘Island Man’ the poet uses the word “heaves” to describe how hard it is for the island man to wake up to find himself in London. This negativity, shows to the reader that learning a new culture can be a bad thing if it makes you forget your original one.
Furthermore, In ‘Island Man’ Nichols adds a dream into the poem. This is signified when the Island Man is waking up; the poet quotes, “he always comes back”. This quote makes the reader realise that he dreams about his culture and identity every night. This quote also shows a deeper meaning; that the Island Man is longing for his home. By doing this Nichols teaches the reader how important identity is to people.
This is also displayed ‘Search for my tongue’ where Bhatt breaks up the poem with Gujarati language which is representing her dreams. It is proved that she is dreaming when Bhatt writes “but overnight as I dream”. This emphasizes how subconscious her culture is, and shows that she is constantly thinking about her culture.
Significantly, in ‘Search for my tongue’ Bhatt uses an extended metaphor in her poem. She uses the lifecycle of a flower to indicate how she feels about her language. This is proved by the quote “The bud opens”. This metaphor helps the reader experience how the poet feels about her language. It also helps the reader feel the power of her mother tongue compared to her new language and shows that however many times she feels her identity is diminishing it returns stronger than before.
This is similar to Island Man, as Nichols uses a metaphor at the end of the poem. The quote “His crumple pillow waves” indicates the Island Man’s thoughts. By making the pillow “wave” shows that the Island Man is departing from his home and signifies his sadness of leaving. It also shows that he is still subconsciously connected to his true identity.
Finally, in ‘Island Man’ the layout of the poem is very erratic. This is used to imply the poet’s thoughts and feelings to the reader; it reflects feelings of uncertainty and insecurity over her culture. This contrasts greatly to ‘Search for my tongue’ where the structure of the poem is very orthodox. However the difference in language shows to the audience the poet’s mind is split into two different parts; her identity and her current life.
On the whole, both poems have affected me in similar ways. The use of the words “wild sea birds” and “fishermen” in ‘Island Man’ made me picture the sea. This in turn helped me realise how her thoughts were very deep and profound, just like the nature of the sea. What’s more is that even though ‘Search for my tongue’ used a variety of different techniques, the message of the poem identical. From reading both these poems, I have learnt the importance of every one’s individual identity and that remembering one’s culture is vital for anyone to remain unique.
