No Problem Flashcards
Who is Benjamin Zephaniah?
British writer and dub poet
He was born and raised in Birmingham
poems are used to highlight social or political causes
What is dub poetry?
a formal of oral performance poetry that is sometimes recited alongside music
How does this poem link to conflict?
Social conflict
Racial conflict
What are the two themes Zephaniah explores?
Theme 1- Racism
racist attitudes held by British society where the speaker lives.
shows stereotypes and prejudices that some people don’t even realise
Theme 2- Divisions
presents a society that is divided
How is the poem structured?
– Each section of the poem is led by the refrain ‘I am not de problem?’ the first stanza is spoken in a mockingly tone and the second stanza is a in a slightly more serious tone and reveals the key message
What quote could you use to show this?
“Black is not de problem
Mother country get it right.”
Why is colloquial language used in this poem?
utilises his own ‘voice’ – that of a black man of Jamaican heritage raised in the UK.
He also replaces the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘you’
with ‘dey’ and ‘yu’
creates more emphasis to the beat.
What poem can be compared similarly to this poem?
No Problem can be compared and
contrasted with this poem in relation to
the theme of racism.
