Singh Song! Flashcards
Context for the poem?
Written by Daljit Nagra whos parents moved to Britain in the 1950s
Lots of his work explores the theme of Britishness
His parents owned a shop in 1982 but were subject to racial abuse
How is love presented in the poem?
Romantic, innocent, sometimes sexual, distant at times
What are some themes in the poem?
Romance, different cultures
‘Just one’
Adverb - sense of disappointment that he doesn’t have more responsibilities
Pressure to please parents
‘I do di lock’
Verb - actively going against his fathers wishes, disobedience
Love controls his decisions
‘Vee share’
Repeated collective pronoun - togetherness, the couple love each other very much, sense of unity
‘Your lemons are limes’
Humorous hyperbole - emphasises how everything is out of order with him not focusing on his job and instead focusing too much on his wife
“My bride”
Repetition - suggests she is always on his mind
Structurally, puts her before his family and work
Possessive pronoun could suggest his pride in having her as his wife
‘Above my head high heel’
Alliteration- reminder of his wife, heels could be a symbolism for feministic qualities and temptation
‘Sit on my silver stool’
Sibilance - the only time he can have a break (sit down) is when it is night time and all the shoppers aren’t around
Could also imply how successful his shop is even if he doesn’t pay attention to it
Contrast to prior presentation of the shop
‘Is priceless baby’
Affectionate noun - creates a positive end to the poem
The speaker values spending time and love over money
However it could also be negative as he is neglecting responsibility
