No Problem Flashcards
Who is Benjamin Zephaniah?
Benjamin Zephaniah is a British writer and dub poet. He was born and raised in Birmingham. Zephaniah is dyslexic, and left an ‘approved school’ (a boarding school for unruly children) unable to read or write. His poetry largely focuses on social and racial issues, and is inspired by the music and poetry of Jamaica.
What is dub poetry?
Most of Zephaniah’s work is described as dub poetry. This type of poetry typically draws on the rhythms and rhetoric of reggae music. Often, these poems are used to highlight social or political causes. Zephaniah’s poems often deal with ideas of racism. Despite their often serious message, many of Zephaniah’s dub poems contain hope or humour.
Where is refrain used?
“I am not de problem If yu give I a chance” this is a repeated refrain because it is used multiple times.
How is structure used and what quote shows this?
Each section of the poem is led by the refrain ‘I
am not de problem?’ (or in the final case, ‘Black is not de problem’). The first stanza is largely jovial, mockingly referring to some of the stereotypical attitudes that he has had to contend with. The second stanza is slightly more serious, and reveals the key message about British society.
Lines 12-16: In the final refrain, the speaker
replaces the pronoun ‘I’ with ‘black’ – suggesting
that many that look at him do not judge him on
his individual merits, but for the colour of his skin.
The poet uses wry humour to refer to Britain as
the ‘mother country’, a colonial reference.
Quote: “Black is not de problem
Mother country get it right.”
How is form used and how is it shown?
The poem is a monologue read by a single character – it appears to be the voice of Zephaniah himself. There are only two stanzas, but the refrain breaks the poem up into further sections. The poem generally employs A-B-C-B rhyme scheme. The rhyme and line length creates a rhythm consistent with dub poetry.
“If you give I a chance…
…I can do more than dance.”
What is one of the themes in the poem?
One of 2 themes throughout the poem is division - The speaker presents a society that is divided, and in which there is animosity towards one another
from two opposing sides meaning people are left out just because people see them differently. By juxtaposing white and black language and ideas together throughout the entirety of the poem, the poet is able to highlight the gulf that people create between themselves and others in society.
How is racism shown as a theme in the poem?
The poem is about the racist attitudes that are held by people in British society in which the speaker lives. It is demonstrated that many of these stereotypes and prejudices are so deep in people’s minds that they do not even realise their racism. The speaker reveals how he longs to be recognised as an individual, not a skin colour. This is the speaker confronting racist steriotypes. in the quote “I am not de problem
If yu give I a chance”
This quote shows that every background someone comes from should be respected and given a chance.
