This Essay will be about the poems "Microaggression Bingo" by Fatimah Asghar, "Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre)" by Warsan Shire, and "+, -" by Jay Bernard and why it belongs to contemporary BIPoC poetry. To achieve this goal, firstly, the concept of BIPoC poetry is to be clarified. Secondly, each poem will be looked at individually to see if the poems just mentioned meet the criteria to be considered as such. In this essay, the differences and similarities of the poems are worked out and a critical reflection on to the extent to which the poems are considered experimental and/or contemporary follows. While the poems will be closely examined and shed light onto, attention will also be given to the aspects of representation of othering, exclusion, and discrimination and to what extent these three works illustrate the experiences of their respective narrator.
Fatima Asghar's "Microaggression Bingo" exposes the subtle, everyday acts of racism and microaggression experienced by marginalized individuals. The poem uses the format of a bingo game to highlight the pervasive nature of these encounters, illustrating the emotional toll they take on the individual.
In "Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre)" by Warsan Shire, the poet delves into the experiences of immigrants detained in deportation centers, focusing on the themes of displacement, loss, and longing for a sense of belonging. The poem explores the complex emotions and stories of individuals forced to leave their homes and navigate a system that dehumanizes them. Through vivid imagery and poignant lines, Shire invites readers to empathize with the struggles faced by immigrants and question the concept of 'home'.
The third poem "+, -" by Jay Bernard reflects on the New Cross house fire tragedy, a devastating event that occurred in London in 1981. The poem explores themes of loss, grief, and the collective memory of the community affected by the fire. It captures the voices and stories of survivors and victims, expressing the pain, anger, and resilience in the aftermath of the tragedy. Bernard's evocative language and striking imagery invite readers to confront the systemic.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Main Part
- Fatimah Asghar's Microaggression Bingo
- Warsan Shire's Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre)
- Jay Bernard's +, -
- Conclusion.
- Bibliography.
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay examines three contemporary BIPOC poems: Microaggression Bingo by Fatimah Asghar, Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre) by Warsan Shire, and +, - by Jay Bernard. The essay seeks to clarify the concept of BIPOC poetry, analyze each poem individually, and assess their experimental and contemporary aspects. It focuses on how these poems represent experiences of othering, exclusion, and discrimination, illustrating the narrators' perspectives.
- Defining BIPOC poetry and its characteristics
- Analyzing individual poems and their alignment with BIPOC poetry criteria
- Examining themes of othering, exclusion, and discrimination in the poems
- Assessing the experimental and contemporary nature of the poems
- Exploring the representation of marginalized experiences through poetic forms
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the essay's objective and its focus on the three poems. It explains the need to clarify BIPOC poetry and analyzes the poems to determine their alignment with its characteristics. The introduction also highlights themes of othering, exclusion, and discrimination, and explores the poems' experimental and contemporary qualities.
- Main Part: This section delves into each poem individually.
- Fatimah Asghar's Microaggression Bingo: This section examines the poem's use of a bingo format to expose the pervasive nature of racism and microaggression experienced by marginalized individuals. It discusses the emotional toll these encounters have and the poem's challenge to the normalization of such behavior.
- Warsan Shire's Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre): This section explores the poem's focus on the experiences of immigrants detained in deportation centers, highlighting themes of displacement, loss, and longing for belonging. It analyzes the poem's portrayal of the complex emotions and stories of individuals forced to leave their homes and navigate a dehumanizing system.
- Jay Bernard's +, -: This section delves into the poem's reflection on the New Cross house fire tragedy. It examines themes of loss, grief, and the collective memory of the community affected by the fire. The section discusses the poem's capturing of the voices and stories of survivors and victims, expressing pain, anger, and resilience in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The essay explores key concepts such as BIPOC poetry, othering, exclusion, discrimination, microaggression, displacement, immigration, systemic oppression, experimental poetry, contemporary poetry, and the representation of marginalized experiences. It examines how these themes are explored in the three poems, highlighting their significance in contemporary literature.
- Quote paper
- Victoria Joschko (Author), 2023, Forms and Poetics. "Microaggression Bingo" by Fatimah Asghar, "Conversations about Home (at the Deportation Centre)" by Warsan Shire and "+, -" by Jay Bernard, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1441838
