Comparing poems 'halfe cast' and 'nothings changed'

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Comparing the way Racism is dealt with in the poems ‘Half caste’ and ‘Nothings changed’ to see which one I consider more effective.

In this essay I am going to compare the way the theme of racism is dealt with in the poems ‘Half caste’ and ‘nothings changed’. I will analyse the poems and then compare them. The things I will be comparing are the similarities and differences, the layout and also the use of language. I will be looking at both of the authors Tatamkhula Africa (Nothings Changed) and John Agard (Half caste) intentions and then decide which one of the poems I think is most effective.

I am going to begin with a comparison of the purposes of the two poems. Nothings changed is about a black man looking back at his childhood and realising that ‘nothings changed’, he is upset about this as although segregation is said to have gone, he feels as if it is the same as before. Half-caste is about a mixed race man who is asking for an explanation for why they are treated like half a person. He refuses to be called half-caste as he finds it offensive. In both of these poems, the writer is dealing with the issues of racism. The two writers are expressing their anger and want the readers to take notice of how they feel.

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The two writers both use repetition throughout the poem. Tatamkhula used the phrase ‘nothings changed’ as both the title and the ending of the poem, this emphasises the fact that his whole poem is based on the fact that he feels that nothing has changed in his life, mainly on the aspect of the way black people are treated. John repeats ‘explain yuslef’ a number of times throughout the poem, he says this because his main aim of the poem is for people to explain themselves. These both are examples of repetition used by the writers to emphasise on ...

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**** A very good essay which analyses both poems in detail and uses well selected quotes to support arguments. Good use of topic sentences and the essay is well structured. The writer clearly shows that they understand the poets' intentions and intelligently analyses the poems. More detailed language analysis needed in places. Some typos - needs to be proof read more carefully. Remains focused on question.