Search for My Tongue Sujata Bhatt
Poetry Analysis:
The poem describes the struggle of a person following a new culture and "Tongue" and the influence of the new environment which confuses the speaker and thereby makes it clear which is within her.
lines 1 to 9
First three lines talks about a fabricated conversation between the reader and herself. In this section Bhatt answers the question by posing a question of her own. she is addressing the question "What was meant in regard to having lost her tongue" and she answers that question. This shows a full heart to heart chat that involves back and forth dialogue. The poem is about various culture interacting with one another. "The mother tongue" and "the foreign Tongue" as a new language. The title has a universal feature about it since cultures are interacting and intermingling.
The poem creates a protective cover within the reader. The reminder of these lines creates sympathy for the poet which is referring to a situation of losing something so crucial to the nature and person. The idea is deep rooted struggle for the reader.
Lines 10 to 16
The idea is 'if' the reader had to sustain, it continues in the line, and the confusion is exposed from the language. Bhatt insists 'living in a place where you had no other option than to speak a foreign tongue. this would make "you mother" "rot, rot and die in your mouth" The repetition of the word "rot" exposes the damage to be so horrific. rot is that the speaker must "spit it out."
wen some one is struggling with their words frustration and confusion would build on the part of the listener. Learning a new language would not cause a person to forget their mother tongue . "rot" and "die" would crate language differentiation to other cultures. Bhatt feels part of her culture and tradition must be abandoned. This depresses her.dives into how that "mother tongue" comes back to her over night while she dreams. It not the people around that matter but who she continues to be. Once the moment arrives it is only about her and her reactions.
Lines 17 to 23
Each and every line represents the speaker who she is at her core still remains and who she was before. "the foreign tongue" became an issue and embrace foreign concepts but deep within she is still the person with her heritage and culture. It cannot be changed even in the new atmosphere.
Lines 24 to 31
The concept "grows" she "pushes" that, but her" mother tongue" strengthens her over "time". It is "longer" with the passage of "time" and "strong" enough that "it ties the other tongue in knots". The process of "forgetting" and remembering is connected to the natural forces. As the plants have a cycle of life that leads to "buds" and "blossoms" this feeling "mother tongue has to find that it is alive. This contradicts the idea that she has "lost her tongue" because "the mother tongue" will always exist and thrive, she is panic and has fallen into the trap of fabrication. Another idea is she only loses her "tongue" throughout her day, it is there within her, but temporarily drowned out by the "tongue"she must use it in her daily life. "tongue was never vanished but temporarily pushed out.
The poem is about language. Also it gives a solid view of those trying to balance their adoption "mother" being with a "foreign" concept. This creates a character of the person.
The structure of the poem exposes the poet's feeling and ideas about identity. The divided stanzas symbolizes divided culture and the hardships of being fluent in many languages. one cannot use two languages at a time.
Different images are used in this poem. The poet imagines knowing two languages is like having two tongues. She compares mother tongues to Flowers. "would rot and die" , it grows back grows strong veins'. Two contrast are there. First - due to the influence of the foreign tongue mother tongue rot and die. The second one is Mother tongue blossoms and shoots up like a plant. It gives sheer delight when the buds open in the mouth.
The last part if written in Gujarati Language. This shows her mother tongue is differ from English. Metaphors are used in the poem to shows identity. The tongue of the speaker described as a living thing. Then goes to compares to a living flower. It shows that as the plant grows, her mother tongue is rooted in her and living within her which cannot be separated. She knows two languages English and Gujarati, The Plot of the poem identifies the problem of the poet. her mother tongue is at heart as in the center of the poem.
The symbolic structure is also present. The lines move backwards and forward between two cultures. The theme is a sort of mixture of her mother tongue and foreign language English. The poet uses repetition "rot" "spit" and "bud" to give great affect.
Thus she expresses the values of her native language and her bondage and love with her native language.
Each and every line represents the speaker who she is at her core still remains and who she was before. "the foreign tongue" became an issue and embrace foreign concepts but deep within she is still the person with her heritage and culture. It cannot be changed even in the new atmosphere.
Lines 24 to 31
The concept "grows" she "pushes" that, but her" mother tongue" strengthens her over "time". It is "longer" with the passage of "time" and "strong" enough that "it ties the other tongue in knots". The process of "forgetting" and remembering is connected to the natural forces. As the plants have a cycle of life that leads to "buds" and "blossoms" this feeling "mother tongue has to find that it is alive. This contradicts the idea that she has "lost her tongue" because "the mother tongue" will always exist and thrive, she is panic and has fallen into the trap of fabrication. Another idea is she only loses her "tongue" throughout her day, it is there within her, but temporarily drowned out by the "tongue"she must use it in her daily life. "tongue was never vanished but temporarily pushed out.
The poem is about language. Also it gives a solid view of those trying to balance their adoption "mother" being with a "foreign" concept. This creates a character of the person.
The structure of the poem exposes the poet's feeling and ideas about identity. The divided stanzas symbolizes divided culture and the hardships of being fluent in many languages. one cannot use two languages at a time.
Different images are used in this poem. The poet imagines knowing two languages is like having two tongues. She compares mother tongues to Flowers. "would rot and die" , it grows back grows strong veins'. Two contrast are there. First - due to the influence of the foreign tongue mother tongue rot and die. The second one is Mother tongue blossoms and shoots up like a plant. It gives sheer delight when the buds open in the mouth.
The last part if written in Gujarati Language. This shows her mother tongue is differ from English. Metaphors are used in the poem to shows identity. The tongue of the speaker described as a living thing. Then goes to compares to a living flower. It shows that as the plant grows, her mother tongue is rooted in her and living within her which cannot be separated. She knows two languages English and Gujarati, The Plot of the poem identifies the problem of the poet. her mother tongue is at heart as in the center of the poem.
The symbolic structure is also present. The lines move backwards and forward between two cultures. The theme is a sort of mixture of her mother tongue and foreign language English. The poet uses repetition "rot" "spit" and "bud" to give great affect.
Thus she expresses the values of her native language and her bondage and love with her native language.
Thank You.
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