no problem Flashcards
how is the poem structured
divided into two verses of short lines without any particular attachments to rhyme
who was benjamin zephaniah
British poet, writer and playwright
how is conflict used
It can be connected to the assertion repeated throughout the poem that the black people are not “de problem” and should not be blamed for the racist abuse they have to endure
whats it about , the point of the poem
address issues of racism. This is true of ‘No Problem’. He writes from his own perspective about his experiences of racism - experiences that are the result of growing up in England with Afro-Caribbean heritage
what are the two themes
racial abuse and discrimination
something to show hes tired of the racism
I can do more dan dance
This line suggests that the
speaker has been restricted by
stereotypes, which he has had
to try and overcome
whats the language and form used
Uses dialect throughout –
shows pride in his identity
by spelling the
words phonetically to
emphasise his accent
2 stanzas – represents divide
is it in first person
By opening the
poem with the pronoun ‘I’, this indicates that the poem is personal, informed by the
poet’s own experience.
why does the writer use different words
the Caribbean-inflected language helps to create a sense that the speaker is casually talking to you, this could be part
of a natural conversation with him if you met him on the street.
why is there only two stanzas
It could be argued splitting the poem into two stanzas the sense of a divide
(between himself and others, on account of racism) that is present in this poem. In this way, form is able to mirror content.
what tone is the reader speaking in
an angry , gentle tone
changes as the stanza changes
