Singh Song Flashcards
Context of Singh Song by Daljit Nagra
Daljit Nagra is a British poet of Indian descent born in Bradford in 1966, who now lives and works in London.
His poetry explores the experiences of first generation immigrants to Britain and those of their children and grandchildren.
He often uses language and spelling that reflects the English of people whose first language is Punjabi, describing attempts to represent his community’s experiences in English as ‘overheating’.
The name ‘Singh’ comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘lion’ and it is an essential part of the name of any Sikh male.
What is the subject of Singh Song by Daljit Nagra?
Singh Song is a first-person love song by a young man about his wife.
He manages his father’s shop but keeps sneaking upstairs to see her instead.
He paints a colourful picture of their love and lives, challenging stereotypical ideas about Indian culture.
Form and structure of Singh Song by Daljit Nagra
As it says in the title, this poem is a song - it has a strong lyrical voice, and depends on rhyme and rhythm, as well as repetition to create a sense of a refrain or chorus.
The structure does not stay the same throughout, but cycles through a number of different stanza patterns, finishing in four two-line stanzas that follow a conversation between the narrator and his bride.
The structure is highly repetitive, creating a sense of closeness between the two speakers.
Sound within Singh Song by Daljit Nagra
Phonetic spellings used in places to represent ‘Punglish’ - English spoken in a Punjabi accent.
This increases the number of ‘d’ and ‘v’ sounds in the song, and creates an alliterative, rhythmic effect.
There is a lot of rhyming in the poem, which is to be expected in a song form.
It doesn’t follow a regular pattern, in the same way that the structure is irregular.
Usually end rhyme, dominating ‘ee’ sound e.g. “chapatti”, “chutney” and “Punjabi”.
This use of rhyme gives a swing to the poem, and speeds up the metre. Uplifting and joyous.
Love and affection shown - Towards the end of the poem, in the stanzas set at night, rhyme disappears and the metre slows down, appropriate to the intimate feeling of the most affectionate section of the poem.
Italics - create a different voice
Imagery created in Singh Song by Daljit Nagra
Metaphor (4th stanza) of the cat and mouse, as the narrator’s wife is on what could be an internet dating site.
The men she is catching are both mice, which she is playing with as a cat might.
But they could also be cats. ‘Cat’ is a fairly common but old-fashioned slang term for a man. The confusion of who is the cat and who is the mouse reflects the situation the metaphor describes; we expect the bride to be the victim, but she is not!
Use of puns - the idea of the ‘web’ and her “netting” her prey.
The metaphors used to describe the narrator’s bride are unexpected. Neither the “tiny eyes ov a gun” and the “tummy ov a teddy” sound particularly attractive, but it is clear that he loves her.
They also tell us a lot about his wife: using the comparison of the gun tells us she’s assertive, but “teddy” suggests affection and softness.
One image - of his bride swearing - sums the ideas behind the poem: “all di colours of Punjabi” draws on the idea of colourful language, but it also suggests the idea of variety, and that behind the stereotype of the Indian immigrant, there are many different individual lives.
The shop at night becomes a romantic destination.
Personification of the “whispering stairs” gives a beautiful sense of secrecy, and the shopkeeper’s stool is elevated with the adjective “silver”, while they look out past the things which represent their daily life - the “half-price window signs” - to the “brightey moon”, a romantic icon.
Attitudes and ideas of Singh Song by Daljit Nagra
This poem challenges the conventional expectations other people might have of him.
These expectations are set up in the first stanza, in which the narrator tells us his father wants him to work twelve-hour days in the shop, playing on the idea of the immigrant work ethic.
But he constantly upsets and challenges these expectations through the image of his wife: she is “netting two cat on her Sikh lover site”, and swearing at his mother, which are both unexpected, but not as much as her punk appearance, with a “red crew cut” and a “Tartan sari”.
Stereotyping - the focus on the love between them and the human aspect of their experience conveys very powerfully the idea that you can’t use stereotypical expectations to judge what a person will be like.
The poem is playful. The rhyme, the subversion of expectations and the comic images that seem created just for the rhyme (making love “like vee rowing through Putney”), all create a light-hearted poem and prevent the end from becoming sentimental.
Examples of comparisons to Singh Sing by Daljit Nagra
Checking Out Me History:
- Both poems use non-standard spelling to suggest an accent for the voice of the narrator.
- These narrators both bring the voices of others into their poetry - in Checking Out Me History it’s the authority behind ‘dem’ and in this poem it’s the voice of the complaining customers.
- Although both these poems challenge assumptions, Singh Song! is not as obviously political as Checking Out Me History.
Brendon Gallacher:
- There’s repetition in both of these poems, which helps create rhythm and a distinctive voice.
- Both are love poems to another ‘half’.
- There’s a lot of humour in both poems, but in the end Singh Song! is joyful, whereas the Brendon Gallagher has a sad ending.
How is a distinctive narrative voice created in Singh Song by Daljit Nagra?
Answer:
- The entire poem is written in a representation of ‘Punglish’ with non-standard spelling and syntax used to create a vivid voice for the narrator.
- Humour is used throughout the poem, as in the metaphors used to describe the narrator’s wife, which create a warm and open voice.
- The use of rhyme contributes to the playful tone.
- The inclusion of other voices - of “di shoppers” - gives a sense of conversation, and shows how unimportant the shop is to the narrator, compared with his wife.
- The voice changes slightly towards the end, becoming more romantic when describing the shop at night.
