Diverse Culture essay

A comparison of two cultural poems by John Agard and Sujata Bhatt. The two poems that will be studied are: "Half Caste" by John Agard and "Search for my Tongue" by Sujata Bhatt. Agard has written his poem to raise awareness that mixed raced people are just as important as single coloured people. Agard was born on the 21st June 1949 in British Guyana. He worked as a journalist there before moving to England in 1977; where he worked as a: playwright, poet, short storey and children's author. He now lives in southeast England. Bhatt has written her poem because she wants to encourage people not to drop their mother tongue but to keep using it. She was born in India wit Gujarati being her native language; she writes many poems in both English and Gujarati. Bhatt learnt English when she moved to America with her family. She now lives in Germany. Agard's poem has an irregular structure; consisting of five stanzas, each of varied length. The first and last stanza may be undersized because the beginning is an introduction and the ending is similar to a final conclusion. Perhaps the second stanza is the longest because Agard dives into more detailed and explained points where he tries to understand what people mean by the word 'half caste'. Many of the lines are very short; consisting of only two or three words these short lines might symbolise Agard's short temper. This

  • Word count: 1271
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The two poems I have chosen to compare are 'Half-caste' by John Agard and 'They'll say, "She must be from another country"' by Imtiaz Dharker. Both of the poems are about personal identity and coming to terms with your heritage

English GCSE Coursework - Comparing and Contrasting Two Poems The two poems I have chosen to compare are 'Half-caste' by John Agard and 'They'll say, "She must be from another country"' by Imtiaz Dharker. Both of the poems are about personal identity and coming to terms with your heritage and culture. In both poems, the speaker is clearly seen as an outsider due to their different cultures and is therefore looked down upon. Both of these poets are challenging the people who judge them in different ways. John Agard is asking why he is treated that way, and Imtiaz Dharker is saying she is proud to be different. In 'Half-caste' I think John Agard is very comfortable with his two different cultures, but he feels he is viewed as only half a person because he is only half English. He sees being called half-caste as insulting, whereas in England it is a part of everyday language. He starts off his poem with a statement that is attracting the attention either politely, or aggressively, but it is hard to tell for it isn't punctuated, "excuse me." This could be taken as though he is saying it insincerely, and meaning the exact opposite and being impolite and challenging. He then goes on to say that he is "standing on one leg." Which instantly causes the reader to ask themselves 'why?' and therefore compelling them to read on. The apparent explanation for this behaviour is the fact

  • Word count: 719
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Outline the significant features of the Caste system, and Comment on the criticisms made on the Caste system.

A) Outline the significant features of the Caste system (14) B) Comment on the criticisms made on the Caste system (6) The caste system, or caturvarna, as K.K.Klostermaier describes is "religious hierarchy; when people are born into their respective castes on account of the karma that they had accumulated in previous lives."1 It is a key feature of life in India and has been for hundreds of years, if not thousands of years, and for just as long it is has been a controversial system (Criticisms coming from Ghandi in 1947 and the Bhakti movement in the middle ages.) The Caste system is a relatively simple idea on the surface, but when one delves more deeply the idea becomes more and more complex. It is a system that reflects one of the more profound ideas in Hinduism: the attainment of Moksha and atonement with Brahman. In order to understand the key features of the caste system, indeed its very existence, it is necessary to examine the key idea underpinning it. It is the ultimate aim of the soul to gain Moksha, thus breaking the reincarnation cycle, and join Brahman.2 The reincarnation "cycle"3 is a term that describes the order of life forms on Earth and how close they are to gaining Moksha, for example a Brahmin is closer to realizing Moksha than a flower. Movement through the cycle is determined by karma in a previous life, for example if one has good karma then one moves

  • Word count: 2082
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare the ways in which the poets protest about injustice in'Not my Business' and 'Half Caste'

Compare the ways in which the poets protest about injustice in 'Not my Business' and 'Half Caste' In the poem 'Not My Business' the poet is not so much commenting on injustice, he is waiting for it to happen to him. The poem starts off with violent verbs such as "beat", "stuffed". This shows us already that the message of the poem has something to do with violence and injustice. The title 'Not My Business' is ironic as in the end all that has gone on that "isn't his business" eventually happens to him and so becomes his business. This is known as a circular poem. It also has a sarcastic tone about how it is 'not my business' when really it is. In 'Half Caste' the poet is mocking the use of the word half caste as a derisive term. The first stanza is sarcastic and the message of the poem is how the short sightedness of which people view people of a mixed race is wrong and how they need to view 'wid de whole of ya eye' and not just half. It is trying to put across the message that because someone is half caste, do not think of them as half the person you are. The poet is suggesting that people who look at mixed race people as if they are second in society are the ones who are really 'half caste'. The use of Standard English in 'Not My Business' shows that the poet wants the world to hear about the injustice in his homeland, Nigeria. However, he does use words such as

  • Word count: 640
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How do the poets of Half-Caste and Not my Business talk about discrimination?

How do the poets of 'Half-Caste' and 'Not my Business' talk about discrimination? Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that's what they'll become in our eyes. Discrimination is the locks on the door to wisdom, two poems which enlighten us about the issues of discrimination are, 'Half-Caste' and 'Not my Business'. Agard states that those who discriminate others because of who they are, will only receive half or no respect at all, "I'm sure you'll understand, why I offer yu half-a-hand". This line reveals Agard's frustration as he refuses to respect those who have stereotypes; he aims to put across to the reader that any kind of discrimination is wrong. In the same way, Osundare protests against complacency. In this poem the narrator witnesses three catastrophic events based on discrimination in which he does not choose to act upon, "So long they don't take the yam from my savouring mouth". The poet aims to get across a fable with a deep moral in it. The background of this poem is based on the violence used by the state authorities against the people of Nigeria. The intention of Agard is to challenge and confront those who racially discriminate others and us as unconventional humans, "explain yu self wha yu mean" this line depicts Agard's frustration towards racism and demands answers- leaving the reader guilt felt in

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  • Word count: 1179
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Comparing poems from different cultures.

Comparing poems from different cultures. By Claire Barnett-Jones Many poems deal with the theme of cultural identity. I have chosen three to compare, they are: Search For My Tongue, by Sujata Bhatt Half-Caste, by John Agard and Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, by Moniza Alvi. I chose these three poems because I feel that they all deal with different aspects of cultural identity. For example Search for my tongue covers the aspect of losing your native tongue and using a 'foreign' language, Half-Caste addresses the point of racism and stereotyping, whilst Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan highlights the issues of alienation and not being able to fit in with either side of your family. Search For My Tongue is quite unusual as instead of the text being in one language all the way through it starts in English and then changes into Arabic part of the way through. This leaves the reader with a feeling of disorientation and that the reader, unless bilingual in those two languages, can not read or make sense of the foreign language. This poem also relays to you the fact that even if you've forgotten your mother tongue and don't speak it for some time it will always come back and blossom if it is used enough. The poet also puts the point across by repeating the word tongue over and over again. The foreign tongue can never take the place of the mother tongue, because it is

  • Word count: 893
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Why did the caste system develop and how was it perpetuated?

Why did the caste system develop and how was it perpetuated? In Indian literature there is a natural system of social organization, which can bring about a peaceful society where everyone is happy. This system is described as Varnasrama dharma (Caste System). The caste system was created so that people of all merits and positions could make spiritual and economic advancements in life. The perpetuation of the caste system however was a result of many influences. The two main reasons both derive from the majority religion, even today, in India, Hinduism. The first point is samsara (reincarnation), was one factor that contributed to the continuity of the caste system. The second was kharma (the sum of merits of a person at any given time in their life). These two factors alone may be the only reason the caste system has endured so long in Indian society. Sometime between 200 B.C. and 100 A.D. the Law of Manu was written. In the Law of Manu the Aryan priests created the great hereditary divisions of society. They ranked themselves at the top, the Brahmins (the priests), followed by the Kshatiyas (the warriors), the Vaisyas (the farmers and merchants), and finally the Sudras (the laborers) born into servitude for the other three castes. Hinduism, the primary religion of classical Indian and still today, supports the caste system, and even has principles modeled on it. The

  • Word count: 691
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare the way John Agard, Tom Leonard and one other poet express feelings of anger and injustice. Think about the use of rhythm/rhyme, imagery (metaphor/simile), sounds, presentation, use of dialect and humour.

Some of the poets in the two clusters show feelings of anger and injustice. Compare the way John Agard, Tom Leonard and one other poet express such feelings. Think about the use of rhythm/rhyme, imagery (metaphor/simile), sounds, presentation, use of dialect and humour. Each of the authors uses different methods to display their anger or annoyance at something. In "What were they like?" which is about the Vietnam War involving the communist north and capitalist south. The poem is written unlike most other poems as if she author was giving an interview with one of the people affected by the war. Each of the questions is about the Vietnamese people's traditions, culture and their livelihood and each one is answered with a bitter answer. The answer to the first question is about how the war turned the Vietnamese people bitter or left them dead and that it left them with no memory of their past. This is shown where it is written "Their light hearts turned to stone" and "It is not remembered whether in gardens stone lanterns illuminated pleasant ways" The second answer is about the birth of children as it says "to delight in blossom" linking the birth of a child to a sprout of a new plant. It then says "but after the children were killed there were no more buds" where it is referring the children as buds because they were still so young and hadn't grown up yet just like the

  • Word count: 933
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Essay to compare the ways that culture and identity are presented in Hurricane Hits England by Grace Nichols and Half Caste by John Agard.

Essay to compare the ways that culture and identity are presented in Hurricane Hits England by Grace Nichols and Half Caste by John Agard. In Hurricane Hits England, the author's identity is portrayed very strongly, although it is indirectly, 'Hattie, my sweeping, back-home cousin.' This quote shows that the author is in a way related to the hurricane and therefore tells us something about her identity - she feels very strongly about and close to the hurricanes. This is also shown in Half Caste, when Agard continually speaks about the term 'half caste.' In these ways both authors are conveying what is very important to them in the form of an entertaining yet meaningful poem. In his poem, Agard does not talk about himself directly; instead he strongly implies that he is talking about himself by talking aggressively as if he is being insulted, ' Wha yu mean?' This tells the reader that he does not wish to talk only about himself, but also that many other people are affected with the same issues. On the other hand Nichols talks to the hurricanes like they are her own personal objects, and that they are a part of her alone, ' Talk to me Oya.' The cultures of the two poems are portrayed in very different ways. For example, Nichols talks in perfect English, except when referring to the hurricane names, which makes the reader take her seriously, 'Old tongues reaping havoc in new

  • Word count: 500
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How does John Agard make the poem Half-Caste seem controversial? Think about the main features of the poet's language which make it different from Standard English. Is the poem mainly directed against white people who use the term 'half-caste'?

How does John Agard make the poem Half-Caste seem controversial? Think about the main features of the poet's language which make it different from Standard English. Is the poem mainly directed against white people who use the term 'half-caste'? The poem is controversial because it is challenging the idea that people of colour are, somehow, lesser beings than white people. This idea is ingrained in the term 'half-caste', which is used by many people - most of whom would consider themselves to be racially tolerant. Though many people deny it, words are a powerful thing. I don't know if the poem if just directed towards whites, though it is probably mostly directed towards whites. There are members of the black community who look down on those from mixed parentage. It is interesting to note, however, that the term is about black/white mixed parentage, not any other kind of ethnic mix. What the poem does do (which suggests that it is mostly directed towards white people) is challenge certain notions about black people. The images associated with 'half-caste' are often quite sophisticated, with references such as Tchaikovsky and Picasso, which many white people would (ignorantly) assume black people have no idea about. It also makes many critical references to English culture and weather, which is generally associated with white people. The poet switches between Standard English

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  • Word count: 823
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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