14.1.2
Themes
Cultural Identity in Singh Song!
Cultural Identity in Singh Song!
One of the key aspects of Dalhit Nagra's poem Singh Song! is the forging of a new cultural identity.
Idiolect and dialect
Idiolect and dialect
- The poet uses idiolect (speech habits of a particular person) to give the narrator a strong personal presence in the poem.
- The use of Anglo-Indian dialect (speech particular to a culture or place) also shows how the narrator and his bride are balancing between two different cultures.
- E.g. ‘my bride / she effing at my mum / in all di colours of Punjabi’.
Culture clash
Culture clash
- We see the clash of Indian and British culture throughout the poem and how this affects the young couple's relationship.
- The description of the ‘tartan sari’ is a physical representation of the cultural merging we see in the language of the poem.
Repetition in Singh Song!
Repetition in Singh Song!
The narrator repeats various lines throughout the poem Singh Song! for various different effects. The repetitions help to give the poem its songlike rhythm.
'My bride'
'My bride'
- The poet repeats the phrase ‘my bride’ as he describes all the things that he loves about her - from her rebellion to the clash of cultures that she seems to embody.
- The repetition also indicates his pride in having secured her as his wife and his joy in the new relationship.
‘From di stool each night’
‘From di stool each night’
- The repetition of the phrase ‘from di stool each night’ represents their nightly ritual in the corner shop.
- These repetitive moments represent the mundane (dull) reality of their lives, but also highlights that it is these daily moments that are the most important.
1When We Two Parted - Lord Byron (1788-1824)
2Love’s Philosophy - Percy Bysshe Shelley
3Porphyria’s Lover - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
4Sonnet 29 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
4.1Sonnet 29 – ‘I think of thee!’ Analysis
5Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
6Letters from Yorkshire - Maura Dooley (Born 1957)
6.1Letters from Yorkshire Analysis
7The Farmer’s Bride - Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)
8Walking Away - Cecil Day Lewis (1904-1972)
8.1Walking Away Analysis
9Eden Rock - Charles Causley (1917-2003)
10Follower - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
10.1Follower Analysis
11‘Mother, Any Distance’ - Simon Armitage (Born1963
11.1'Mother, Any Distance' Analysis
12Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy (Born 1955)
12.1Before You Were Mine Analysis
13Winter Swans - Owen Sheers (Born 1974)
14Singh Song! - Daljit Nagra (Born 1966)
14.1Singh Song! Analysis
15Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse
15.1Climbing My Grandfather Analysis
16Grade 9 - Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Comparisons
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1When We Two Parted - Lord Byron (1788-1824)
2Love’s Philosophy - Percy Bysshe Shelley
3Porphyria’s Lover - Robert Browning (1812-1889)
4Sonnet 29 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
4.1Sonnet 29 – ‘I think of thee!’ Analysis
5Neutral Tones - Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
6Letters from Yorkshire - Maura Dooley (Born 1957)
6.1Letters from Yorkshire Analysis
7The Farmer’s Bride - Charlotte Mew (1869-1928)
8Walking Away - Cecil Day Lewis (1904-1972)
8.1Walking Away Analysis
9Eden Rock - Charles Causley (1917-2003)
10Follower - Seamus Heaney (1939-2013)
10.1Follower Analysis
11‘Mother, Any Distance’ - Simon Armitage (Born1963
11.1'Mother, Any Distance' Analysis
12Before You Were Mine - Carol Ann Duffy (Born 1955)
12.1Before You Were Mine Analysis
13Winter Swans - Owen Sheers (Born 1974)
14Singh Song! - Daljit Nagra (Born 1966)
14.1Singh Song! Analysis
15Climbing My Grandfather - Andrew Waterhouse
15.1Climbing My Grandfather Analysis
16Grade 9 - Comparisons
16.1Grade 9 - Comparisons
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