A Different History by Sujata Bhatt Notes Essay

The poet explores the kinship between cultural identity and phrase. When you speak a phrase you in addition learn its flori goal. Lines 19 and 20 sum up the theme. Which language has non been the oppressors tongue? When a nonher country is the conquerer, that country brings its language and culture to those who are conquered.SUMMARYA Different History is in two linked parts lines 1-18, then lines 19-29. The number one stanza draws the link between Hesperian and Indian culture as Pan, the Hellenic god also exists through with(predicate) Indian gods and goddesses that roam freely. She points come in the difference as well in the personal manner Indians treat books with much respect, in order non to come to or offend Sarasvati or the tree from which the paper comes. Stanza 2 returns to the sentiment of a foreign language either languages, it says, arrive at once been the language of an invader or an oppressor, but despite this there always comes a time when younger a nd newer generations not only speak the oppressors language but they actually come to love it. TONE (Tone means the carriage of the poet)At first the tone is critical of the culture of the west (e.g. the way the west does not show respect for books). Later the tone is accepting. She says that once people have assimilated the new culture, the later generations love the language and culture. coordinateThe poem is divided into two stanzas with each dealing with a different idea on language and culture. The visual arrangement of lines differ in the two stanzas. In stanza 1, the different indented lines give a wavy visual aspect to suggest perhaps the idea of gods roaming freely and to match the humour in the stanza.The second stanza has all the lines indented similarly as the author conveys the serious depicted object that all languages are imposed by the oppressor.RHYTHMThe rhythm matches the content. The enjambement (run-on lines) in stanza 1 gives a light-hearted, tripping rhythm . In stanza 2, the rhythm is flagrant as the poet uses rhetorical disbeliefs and the mood turns serious.IMAGERYPOINT Stanza 1 begins by comparing the Greek and Indian gods. Next the poem focuses on the venerating attitude towards books in India.QUOTE EFFECTGreat Pan is not deadhe simply emigrated To India Meaning- Pan the Greek god of constitution also exists in India. The effect is that cross-cultural links happen. Here, the gods roam freely Disguised as snakes or monkeys The poet refers to Indian gods in the form of snakes or monkeys. And it is a sinto be rude to a book(repeated 4 times) By ingeminate it is a sin the effect is of persuasion and emphasis. Repetition in a pattern of three or more is a persuasive device. She uses unvoiced words shove, slam, toss to stress that ill-treating books is sinful to the Indians because they have a reverence for knowledge. You must learn how to turn the pages gentlywithout disturbing Sarasvati, without anger the treefrom whose wood the paper was madeThe word without is repeated for emphasis. In India, books are handled carefully gently to show respect for Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of Knowledge, and for the trees where the gods are. *Pan- In Greek religion and mythology, Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, mountains, hunting Sarasvati the Hindu goddess of Knowledge presides over the arts and is frequently worshipped in libraries.POINT Stanza 2 the poet states that every while every language has come from the conquering nations and is at first resisted, it is later embraced by the future generations.QUOTE EFFECTWhich language has not been the oppressors tongue? This rhetorical question ( a question that does not need an answer because the answer isobvious) contains the main idea of the poem all languages have once been the language of an invader or an oppressor. Which language sincerely meant to murder someone? The repetition which language is another rhetorical question which does not nee d an answer as it is obvious that language does not intentionally kill people. that after the torture, after the soul has been croppedwith a commodious scythe swooping out of the conquerors face- The poet now explains that it is the soul or the culture that is destroyed by the conqueror.The metaphor of the long scythe swooping out is an image of the brutal destruction of the culture of the oppressed and replacing it with the culture of the conqueror. the unborn grandchildrengrow to love that strange language The poet concedes that ironically over many generations, the oppressed people come round to speaking the conquerors language and what is more to embracing its culture. She points out the irony of history.