Compare the Techniques Of My First Sonne and Limbo

Looking at both the poems there’s a huge contrast in there individuality and uniqueness. This is clearly shown through the way that both the poems are written. For example, Limbo is presented in free verse which is probably suggesting that the slaves once had an identity. The word “Limbo” emphasises that the free verse is trying to show that the slaves were his ancestors with an African past. However, Brathwaite is presenting that the slave dealers stripped his ancestors of an identity for example “the dumb Gods are raising me.” Showing that the poet has no knowledge of Africans God’s or culture. While in contrast, the techniques used in On My First Sonne shows a traditional English poem about his love to his son. It is also writing about the English tradition of the Church of England and an identity about what it is to be English. Which during it’s time was to believe in the old tradition of religion and heaven. Which when comparing the two it is noticeable that On My First Sonne show’s identity and Limbo conveys lost identity.

On My First Sonne it uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness by the use of a stressed and then a unstressed syllable. By using this technique it creates a feeling that the author is clueless which is shown through sentences like

“Will man lament the state he should envie?” Limbo also uses Trochaic pentameter in order to create the feeling of sadness as the poem is talking about the struggle of slavery “long dark deck and the water surrounding me.” When looking at the tenses of On My First Sonne it uses past, present and future. For example in the first four lines there is a use of past. This is shown as he talks about his seven year old child and uses in the last sentence “on the just day.” It then changes to present, as the poet talks about in the next four lines “Will man lament the state he should envie?” suggesting he should envy his son because he is in heaven. This quote also shows that he has accepted the death of his son. It then goes to future as the poet mentions in “soft peace.” This poem shows to the reader that the poet wrote this poem over a long period of time. Showing to the reader the past represents that his child died, the present in between lines is mentioning the child’s burial and the future is that the child is buried and now in heaven. In Limbo there is a use of only present tense and repetition of the title “limbo”. This technique is used to make the poem capture the audience and get into the character of a slave. Furthermore, the use of repetition creates a tempo and the beat is indicated as it uses the word “drummers”. However, in On My First Sonne there is a use of punctuation to create the tempo meaning the audience are less involved with the poem.

In conclusion this essay shows to the reader the background of the poems one to do with slavery and another to do with England and the Church of England of faith. Furthermore, I’m showing how both poems contrast and how language is used to show tempo and contrast.