Structure and Language of the poem 'Search for My Tongue'...

Is Sujata Bhatt Indian or English? The two cultures seem to be 'at war' within her thinking, and she is worried that she is losing her Indian identity as she neglects to use her Gujerati language.

'Search for My Tongue' is a inventive and striking poem, and its structure and language are designed to show in a very visual way her Indian identity re-asserting itself.

Structure

• It has three sections - the first introduces the author's fears that she is 'losing her tongue', the second section gives the answer in Gujerati, and the third section translates the Gujerati words for English-speaking readers.

• The poet uses repetition to great effect - particularly of three key words: 'rot', 'spit' and 'bud'. The word 'grows' is used four times in lines 31-32, giving the feeling that this is a process that is unstoppable.

• The most striking visual aspect of the poem is the use of Gujerati in the second section of the poem. It is put there as visual proof that her Gujerati mother tongue has indeed taken back control.

Language

• The poem is written in the first person - the words 'I' or 'my' occur 13 times, which makes it very personal, and gives the reader the feeling that he is looking into the author's life.

• The poem, however, is addressed to the reader - it starts with the word 'you' and the words 'you' or 'your' occur 12 times, which draws in the reader to think about the matter from the author's point of view.

• The poet plays with the meaning of the word 'tongue'.

• The most striking aspect of the poem is the use of Gujerati words in the second section of the poem. It is direct proof that her Gujerati mother tongue has indeed taken back control of her identity.

(There is a bit of a conflict here because - although the poem seems to be saying this, and the poet wants us to believe this, she then goes on to explain in English what she means ... so maybe her Gujerati hasn't won the day after all.)

• The poem's key image is that of a plant, which looked as though it was rotting and dying, but then grows back and forces out the other tongue.

• The use of the word 'blossom' in the last line show that she feels her Gujerati language is beautiful.

• It is worth noticing that the first section of the poem (in English) is very clear, practical, logical, but the language in the Gujerati section of the poem is very 'flowery' and poetic - English is very practical and useful for day-to-day living, but it is her Gujerati culture which gives her life beauty and meaning.

Links

Main Sources

Read the BBC Bitesize webpages on Structure and Language and images and sound.

Other websites

Andrew Moore's short note

brill BBC podcast (text version)

First, we need to make some Brief Notes:

What does the BBC Bitesize webpage say about the structure and language of the poem?

(if you wish, here is space for other notes/ideas from other websites)

Now make your own Notes about the Structure and Language of 'Search...'....

(REMEMBER - in your notes, you MUST support your ideas by referring to the text of the poem.)

The MEANING of 'Search for My Tongue' is that Sujata Bhatt is worried that she is losing her mother tongue, but that it always comes back to her.

Mouseover here to see the text of the poem

Let's start by looking at STRUCTURE of the poem (for ideas, mouseover here).

Choose THREE things you notice about the STRUCTURE of the poem and - for each - explain how Bhatt uses them to get across her meaning.

Mouseover here to see the text of the poem

Now let's go on to think about the LANGUAGE of the poem (for ideas, mouseover here).

Choose THREE things you notice about the LANGUAGE of the poem and - for each - explain how Bhatt uses them to get across her meaning.

Mouseover here to see the text of the poem

Finally, choose two particularly powerful words and phrases from the poem and explain why - for you - they drive home so powerfully the meaning of the poem.

Your name:
Your form:

     You ask me what I mean
     by saying I have lost my tongue.
     I ask you, what would you do
     if you had two tongues in your mouth,
5    and lost the first one, the mother tongue,
       and could not really know the other,
       the foreign tongue.
       You could not use them both together
       even if you thought that way.
10   And if you lived in a place you had to
       speak a foreign tongue,
       your mother tongue would rot,
       rot and die in your mouth
       until you had to spit it out.
15   I thought I spit it out
       but overnight while I dream,

(munay hutoo kay aakhee jeebh aakhee bhasha)

20 (may thoonky nakhi chay)

(parantoo rattray svupnama mari bhasha pachi aavay chay)

(foolnee jaim mari bhasha nmari jeebh)

25

(modhama kheelay chay)

(fullnee jaim mari bhasha mari jeebh)

30 (modhama pakay chay)

       it grows back, a stump of a shoot
       grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins,
       it ties the other tongue in knots,
       the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth,
35   it pushes the other tongue aside.
       Everytime I think I've forgotten,
       I think I've lost the mother tongue,
       it blossoms out of my mouth.

Structure - hints

Think about:

(Lacking Visual Structure Really Ruins Poems)

• Line length

• Visual layout

• Stanzas - how the content is organised

• Rhyme and rhythm

• Repetition

• Punctuation

(and WHY the poet has chosen to do that).

Language - hints

Think about:

(Don't Speak Quietly In This Lesson)

• Dialect

• who is Speaking

• Are there any Questions and commands

• Images, similes and metaphors

• Tone

• Literary techniques such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, personification etc.

(and WHY the poet has chosen to do that).