Discuss the issue of Cultural Identity in Grace Nichols Poetry.

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Discuss the issue of Cultural Identity in Grace Nichols Poetry

Focussing on: Praise song for my mother

Fat Black Woman

Tropical Death

Grace Nichols puts the image across that the issue of culture is extremely important to her. Through her poems we understand that she is confused of her identity.

Grace Nichols was born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1950 and grew up in a small country village on the Guyanese coast in the West Indies.

She worked as a teacher and journalist and as part of a diploma in communications at the University of Guyana, she spent time in some of the most remote areas of Guyana, a period that influenced her writings and initiated a strong interest in Guyanese folk tales, Amerindian myths and the South American civilisations of Aztec and Inca.

She came to Britain in 1977 with her partner, the poet John Agard. They now live on the coast of Sussex. She wrote a collection of originals Caribbean nursery rhymes, 'No Hicory, No Dicory, No Dock,' with him and has edited several anthologies as well as writing her own collections and performing regularly.

Through her personal background we come to a conclusion that the issue of culture is so important to Grace Nichols because of the sudden change in her culture when she moved to the UK and because all her childhood memories, family and friends are all in the Caribbean.

'Praise Song For My Mother', 'Fat Black Woman' and 'Tropical Death' link together and portray the fact that her culture is so important to her, through Grace Nichols use of language in these three poems.

Firstly we are reminded of her childhood memories when we read 'Praise Song for my Mother',

'...Go to your wide futures, you said...'

This quote shows how when she was young, in the Caribbean, her mother said this to her. It allows her to live her life and did not prevent her form learning. Grace Nichols is now standing alone represented by this one last line.

Then her experiences of adulthood are reflected when we read 'Fat Black Woman'

'...Exchanging slimming glances...'

This quote shows how in the U.K sales assistance are more concerned with appearances instead of welcoming they disregard her feelings.

Lastly finishing off with death and her desire to return home in 'Tropical death'.

'...Brilliant Tropical death yes...'

Affirming that death is some thing to celebrate. Grace Nichols wants people to physically react to death; she wants a fuss and outpouring of emotion. She feels that wailing and emotional reaches allow people to rejoice in life and grieve. This is a direct contrast to European attitudes to funerals.
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She uses a number of techniques to express her feelings. Grace Nichols uses a range of dialect Creole to standard / posh English.

She uses these contrasting dialects in all three poems, she also uses a lack of punctuation, and this is because she wants readers to read the poem as it comes to them and not to be restricted in the pace.

In all three poems grace Nichols uses a mixture of Creole and Standard English. She uses these contrasting dialects to show us how her environment has changed; she keeps reminding us of her ...

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