In Hurricane Hits England the theme is about identity this relates too presents from my aunts in Pakistan.

In Hurricane hits England the theme of the poem is identity, the poem has been written by Grace Nichols who was born in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1950 and grew up in a small country village on the Guyanese coast. The poem is about a hurricane that hits the south coast of England and it makes her feel like this is her new home and its taken up her old roots and laid down some new ones.

My first point is about the poet saying “it took a hurricane to bring her closer”. This uses third person, the meaning of the text is that the Hurricane made England feel like her home. The use of third person emphasizes the change of before and after. It makes it feel like her home by experiencing something that happens all the time in her old home this makes her feel like she has nothing to be scared of.

My second point is the “howling ship of the wind its gathering rage.” This uses personification and a metaphor for the people on the slave ships i.e. her ancestors. The meaning behind the text is that her ancestors would either make it out of the slave ships or be killed by them; this is like her trying to make it through the hurricane. This makes you feel understanding of the situation she finds herself in.

Thirdly I would like to make the point of her saying “like some dark ancestral spectre. Fearful and reassuring”. This uses simile and ...

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Thirdly I would like to make the point of her saying “like some dark ancestral spectre. Fearful and reassuring”. This uses simile and oxymoron this causes the stirring up of emotion. The meaning of the quote is that someone is watching over her.

Next I’m going to make a point about what is the meaning of “trees falling as heavy as whales”. This uses simile this links back to the howling ship of the wind and the thought of the slaves on the ships, and it links back to her roots being uprooted and new ones being laid down. Therefore the simile is her thinking that she can uproot her roots and lay them down somewhere else.

Finally I am making the point “ah sweet mystery come to break the frozen lake in me”. This uses metaphor, oxymoron this shows her becoming a new person and her leaving her old self and her old emotions behind and starting a new life. This is showing her letting something in that will make her open up and let her build a new home.

Now I’m going to talk about the contrast between Hurricane hits England and Presents from my aunts in Pakistan. The poem, Presents from my aunts in Pakistan is about a girl who has come to England and she doesn’t know which culture she is, she gets presents from her aunts but she doesn’t feel as if she is good enough to wear the clothes her aunties send to her.

My first point is about the use of colour in the poem, the poet frequently uses words such as “peacock blue and apple green” these are descriptive words that show the real vibrant colours , colours that longed to be looked at but the person who wears these only wants to be seen in the background.

My second point is about the similes used “like a split open orange” it is split open just like she is, she doesn’t know what side to take. It is also a simile.

By Jack Killian