Poem Comparison-Half Caste and I am not that Woman
7 August 2007 A Comparison of "I am not that Woman" with "Half Caste" The two poems I am going to compare are "I am not that Woman" by Kishwar Naheed and "Half Caste" by John Agard. Although these poems are essentially about different things, with "I am not that woman" being about a feminist and "Half Caste" about skin colour, underneath this they are both about being prejudiced against somebody for no real reason. The poem "Half Caste" begins with the words "Excuse me standing on one leg I'm half caste." This is an almost apologetic beginning to the poem, it immediately shows that being mixed race is seen as negative, and that the person is unsure of himself, because of this view. In contrast, "I am not that Woman" starts very strongly with the title words "I am not that woman." This, although also creating a feel that women are being treated unfairly, shows that the person in this poem is far stronger in her views that it is unjust, and will not stand for it, whereas the beginning of the other poem leads us to believe that the person will put up with the unfair treatment. "Half Caste" then goes on to question why "when picasso mix red and green" is not "a half caste canvas." This, as well as the example of the "half caste symphony," by Tchaikovsky, is used because these also use "half caste" things but these are accepted, and even highly regarded. Therefore, the poet is
Using the poems 'Telephone Conversation' By Wole Soyinka and 'Nothing Said' by Brenda Agard explain how the poets convey and challenge the message in their poems. Also compare the similarities and differences.
Using the poems 'Telephone Conversation' By Wole Soyinka and 'Nothing Said' by Brenda Agard explain how the poets convey and challenge the message in their poems. Also compare the similarities and differences. Both 'Telephone Conversation' and 'Nothing Said' can be recognised from the outset as poems reflecting the injustice bestowed upon black British citizens in the late 20th century. Each poem contains material for protest, and displays a point the narrator believes strongly in, due to their black origin, however, both poems reflect upon different experiences. Whilst 'Telephone Conversation' exhibits the difficult situation in which many black men found themselves when seeking accommodation, 'Nothing Said' talks of a tragic disaster that occurred in 1981, affecting the entire black community. Both poems deal with colour racism in a separate, yet effective, manner and are compelling in their own individual way. As the title suggests, Wole Soyinka's poem is a 'Telephone Conversation' between a Black African man and a white landlady. The title clearly shows that the poem is about speech and communication, and, throughout, Soyinka demonstrates the frustration of the black man when seeking somewhere to live and facing racial abuse. This is a typical incident that confronted many black British citizens when seeking accommodation, and Soyinka obviously wants the reader to relate
Poems From Other Cultures
GCSE English Coursework Poems From Other Cultures Of the two poems from the other cultures booklet, I have decided to compare "Half-caste" by John Agard and "Two Scavengers in a Truck, Two Beautiful People in a Mercedes" by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. In this essay I will discuss the meaning of the two poems and what the poet is trying to get the reader to think and / or realise. The poem describes four people held together for a moment at a red traffic light. There are two scavengers, garbage men 'on their way home' after their round, and two beautiful people, an elegant couple 'on the way to his architect's office'. The garbage men's day ends where the young couple's begins. The poet compares the two pairs in detail, and then seems to ask - at the end of the poem - whether America really is a democracy. The poem's structure is fairly free. The poet doesn't use punctuation; instead, he begins a new line when he wants us to pause in our reading. This slows the poem down and gives us time to appreciate each idea. The poem appears very fragmented on the page. This might suggest the fragmented or 'broken' nature of society? The language used in this poem is used in different ways to convey his ideas. For example; the title shows us straight away that the poem will be about the contrasts between two pairs of people. 'Scavengers' is a belittling term for the garbage men because it
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
I have chosen to compare the poem
Comparison of Half-Caste and Nothings Changed From the poems I have studied and spent time analysing, I have chosen to compare the poem "Half Caste", by the poet John Agard and the poem "Nothings Changed" by the poet Afrika. My task is to show a detailed analysis and comparison of both poems I will show what I believe to be the poet's feelings and comment on them. I shall also give my own personal opinion on what I believe about the poems and how it made me feel. In the first poem I studied "Half Caste" the poet John Agard has expressed his feelings in an unusual but I believe a unique way. The poem is referring to how angrily Agard feels towards the term half-caste, however his anger is disguised by his humour. Agard uses his sense of humour throughout the poem; this clearly gets his emotions across to me being the reader. For example Agard introduces himself "standing on one leg" as he is a half caste person he humorously makes out, he is only half a person and this is why he stands on one leg. I feel that Agard has this shadow of humour that is covering up his real emotions, this maybe a sign of fear, as he doesn't know how to show his true feelings so instead he humours the reader and himself. Agard writes the poems as if he's talking directly to you, this technique of talking directly to you makes you feel more emotional I felt a little insecure and this makes you
Comparing three poems from different cultures
Three poems from different cultures Presents from my aunts in Pakistan They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood. Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens. I tried each satin-silken top - was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes - I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. I wanted my parents' camel-skin lamp - switching it on in my bedroom, to consider the cruelty and the transformation from camel to shade, marvel at the colours like stained glass. My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree, but it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. My salwar kameez didn't impress the school friend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me
Halfcast and Unrelated incidents
'Compare and contrast how other cultures are shown in Half-Caste and Unrelated Incidents'. The poems I am comparing are "Half-Caste", written by John Agard possibly during the twentieth century, due to that being the era Agard moved to England, encountering racism and misunderstanding of other cultures. The other poem is "Unrelated Incidents" written by Tom Leonard in 1969, the date is also shown in his poem by mentioning "BBC" which was created 50 years earlier. Both poems share many similarities such as; they make important points about shared identities as well as individual identity, cultures and the use of phonetics. These poems can also be linked as protest poems, poems that raise and to a degree complain about issues related to their cultural origins. "Explain yuself", a repeated phrase throughout "Half-Caste", portrays that Agard is complaining about our closed minds, and our ignorance to judge people on their appearance. However, the phrase may also mean that we do not express ourselves vividly. Moreover, "yoo scruff", also repeated throughout the stanza of "Unrelated Incidents", portrays that Leonard voices his complaints in insults, a different approach from Agard, in turn making this poem least effective from Agard's, because not many take notice in something to which they are being offended. "Half-Caste", in my perspective, is about how differently people are
I have chosen Half-Caste and Nothing's Changed because both discuss the issue of racism.
I have chosen Half-Caste and Nothing's Changed because both discuss the issue of racism. Half-Caste is about the subject of treatment against mixed race people being one himself. Likewise Nothing's Changed is based on discrimination, deliberating about non-whites and whites being treated differently. However John Agard comes across in a sarcastic method and Tatamkhulu clearly shows his anger and opinion in an angry mood. Both Tatamkhulu Afrika and John Agard portray racist attitudes as a unlawful punishment because of only their ethnic group. John Agard is a mixed race individual who wrote about the half minded people who think and use the word 'Half-Caste'. On the other hand the poem Nothing's Changed is about the whites and non-whites in the area called District Six in the period of which apartheid was alleged to be over. Both express anger, Nothing's Changed more than the other. John Agard expresses his point across in a humorous characteristic. Each poet is talking about the same issue, racism being the issue in this case but express their ideas and attitudes in different and similar ways. 'yu mean when Picasso mix red an green is a half-caste canvas', and 'yu mean when light an shadow mix in de sky is a half-caste weather'. This being from Half-Caste shows that things that people witness are a mixture of things and aren't looked at as half of something so why are John
How do poets from other cultures and traditions show suffering because of their identity?
How do poets from other cultures and traditions show suffering because of their identity? All sorts and types of people suffer through things like racial or cultural identity, because they may be a different colour or come from some where else, or even just because they talk differently. In the poems I have studied Half-Caste, Ogun and Nothing's Changed, the poets put across feelings of hurt and anger mostly because of this discrimination. The main message in the poem of half-caste is that the writer, John Agard, feels as if people only see him as half a person because of this term 'half-caste.' It tells us that he suffers every time people look or talk to him because he assumes they immediately think he is 'half-caste' which is what he believes means half a person. In reality he does not want anyone to look at him any differently from themselves. This is brought across by many techniques. The imagery that John Agard puts into people's mind with the poem is that it is about just half a person: '...I close half-a-eye, consequently when I dream, I dream half-a-dream...' The quote above shows the narrator is using irony to question what the reader thinks of him, by saying he is 'half-caste.' It also shows that he thinks the term 'half-caste' is ridiculous, saying this is what I must do if I'm half a person. The language used in the first and second stanza changes from
How are anger and frustration presented in 'Nothing's Changed' and 'Half-Caste'?
How are anger and frustration presented in 'Nothing's Changed' and 'Half-Caste'? In this essay I am going to talk about how anger and frustration is linked between two poems. The two poems are called 'Nothing's Changed' and 'Half-Caste'. I am going to explain four topics about each poem. These are: language, discrimination, culture and racism. Each one I will explain how they link with the poems. For example racism shares a main part in both poems because they are both about inequality and difference. Both Poems are autobiographical so both authors have had their own experience meaning that the anger shown is very descriptive. The first topic I am going to talk about is the racism that is linked between the two poems. First I will look at the poem 'Half-caste' then 'Nothing's changed'. I would say that 'Half-Caste' is quite an angry poem because the poem John Agard has written is about difference. It is about difference because it mentions the word 'half-caste' and the word is used to describe people born of parents of a different colour. This word can be used as an insult against a different race, which shows racism. Here is an example that shows how racism is shown "Yu mean when Picasso mix red and green". He talks about the colours and how they combine together to produce a new whole, which is different. But the whole he talks about is precious and unique. People call him
