Comparing three poems from different cultures :: English Literature

Comparing three poems from different cultures Introduction The three poems that I will be comparing are ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ by Moniza Alvi, ‘Half-caste’ by John Agard and ‘Island Man’ by Grace Nichols. All of these poets have mixed-race backgrounds and all of these poems are linked in with the difficulties arising from having different cultural backgrounds. Story/theme ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ is reflective of Moniza Alvi’s childhood and her experiences of being from two different backgrounds â€Å"glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England.† She tells the reader about her experiences in Pakistan, the journey from Pakistan to England and about being in England. This shows that although she is confused about her background, she remembers everything from both cultures. ‘Half-Caste’, however, is a very confrontational poem and John Agard addresses the reader personally. â€Å"Excuse me†¦explain yuself†¦yu must come back†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Agard addresses the reader personally and confronts them about their opinions or beliefs of Half-caste people. He asks them to tell him what they mean by the phrase half-caste, then gives various scenarios about what they may mean which are incongruous. This puts his point across and makes people think about or change their beliefs. Conversely, ‘Island Man’ is the story of a man that used to live on an island, possibly the Caribbean, and then moved to London. This poem describes his feelings as he wakes up for the first day back in London â€Å"Comes back†¦to dull North Circular Road†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This poem also shows that he would much prefer to live on his â€Å"emerald island† than in London. This shows that the man has made a conscious decision about which part of his background he prefers and which part of his life he would like to fulfil. Emotions expressed ‘Presents from my aunts in Pakistan’ is a very sensitive poem and many emotions are expressed throughout the poem. In the first stanza, Moniza Alvi expresses excitement as she lists all of the wonderful things that her aunts have sent her from Pakistan. In the second stanza, she seems down heartened about everything and says, â€Å"never be as lovely as those clothes.† For the rest of the poem she seems confused about her background and indecisive about which background she prefers. ‘Half-Caste’, however, expresses a feeling of confrontation throughout the poem and it always seems as if John Agard wants the readers to respond to what he says but because of his hectoring tone the reader believes that they cannot. On the contrary, ‘Island Man’ has a pessimistic feel to the poem throughout. It seems as though the island man is constantly