With Reference To At Least Four Different Poems, Explore How Cultural E

With Reference To At Least Four Different Poems, Explore How Cultural Identity Is Represented By The Various Poets The four poems I have selected to focus on all portray a cultural identity in their own unique way. 'Wherever I hang' and 'The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping', are both written by Grace Nichols, a poet of Guinean background. I have also chosen to explore 'Dream Variation' by Langston Hughes as well as 'Half-Caste' by John Agard. I have chosen this selection of poetry because I feel that each poem has great merit in successfully challenging the racial disparities of the modern world. Grace Nichols unsurprisingly tends to base her poems around the inequality between the black and white communities; this is reflected in her poem 'Taint'. The poems I have chosen to investigate by her are 'The Fat Black Woman Goes Shopping' and 'Wherever I hang'. I chose to include these poems because they are in contrast to many of her other poems and it's content mainly comments on how white and black lifestyles differ rather than her usual theme of black persecution. The other two poems I have chosen by the two different poets both concentrate more on black discrimination like 'Taint' and are more similar to that poem, in this respect, than the two poems I chose by Grace Nichols. Langston Hughes writes a detailed analysis of the desires of the average Black man in his poem "Dream Variation". Hughes was related to John Mercer Langston, who was the first Black American to be elected to public office, in 1855. Born into a family with a strong sense of culture but a desire to be accepted, it is foreseeable that his poem reflects his aspiration of cultural freedom. Hughes uses representative imagery to portray... ...e wants to live she will live despite all obstacles-despite all cultural differences. The four poems use various methods to convey their points, overall the most effective being the humorous approach. Grace Nichols most effectively conveys her cultural identity via her sarcastic and amusing method of writing. This encourages the reader to think more deeply about the poem and understand the idea of culture identity, which could help acceptance of various cultures in Britain. Despite this, I personally feel "Half-Caste" is the most striking poem, stirring emotions deeper than mere amusement. The poem allows us to understand how people of mixed race must feel when this term is used and the implications of such a word. Although fairly aggressive, this poem conveys most constructively the message of the necessity for acceptance, to whoever the reader may be.