The Themes Of Loss And Identity
In life loss and the uncertainty of specific identity are two things that everyone faces, whether it be losing a family member, or a part of themselves as an individual or struggling with their cultural identity and finding their true self. All six poems I am going to explore share the themes of loss and identity.
The first poem I will be considering is Grace Nichols’ “Island Man”. In this poem Grace Nichols shows the themes of loss and identity by describing both of the cultures in which the man lives; London physically and the Caribbean Island mentally, and the contrast between the two. “For a Caribbean man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea”, the description of the man at the beginning of the poem is very instructive and highlights where the man is from and where he is currently. The structure of the poem helps us see the fade between the man's dreams and reality and the transition between the two. The poem also helps us understand where the man thinks he belongs and where he wants to be.
In the first stanza of the poem we are introduced to the “Island Man” and how he is dreaming of the island that he calls home, “an island man wakes up to the sounds of blue surf” this is sensory imagery that Grace Nichols uses to help us understand the man's feeling towards the Caribbean island in comparison to his …show more content…
It is clear to see that in this poem, the innocence of this child has been lost and the person in question is struggling with their identity. The poem seems to start with the person being very childlike and excitable with this game of “Hide and Seek” but finishes on a much more mature and anti-climactic note, due to the person being seemingly abandoned - this shows lose - , as this cannot be definite due to us as readers not knowing who is with them, or if there was anyone there at
The first poem I will be considering is Grace Nichols’ “Island Man”. In this poem Grace Nichols shows the themes of loss and identity by describing both of the cultures in which the man lives; London physically and the Caribbean Island mentally, and the contrast between the two. “For a Caribbean man in London who still wakes up to the sound of the sea”, the description of the man at the beginning of the poem is very instructive and highlights where the man is from and where he is currently. The structure of the poem helps us see the fade between the man's dreams and reality and the transition between the two. The poem also helps us understand where the man thinks he belongs and where he wants to be.
In the first stanza of the poem we are introduced to the “Island Man” and how he is dreaming of the island that he calls home, “an island man wakes up to the sounds of blue surf” this is sensory imagery that Grace Nichols uses to help us understand the man's feeling towards the Caribbean island in comparison to his …show more content…
It is clear to see that in this poem, the innocence of this child has been lost and the person in question is struggling with their identity. The poem seems to start with the person being very childlike and excitable with this game of “Hide and Seek” but finishes on a much more mature and anti-climactic note, due to the person being seemingly abandoned - this shows lose - , as this cannot be definite due to us as readers not knowing who is with them, or if there was anyone there at