Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by James Berry
Prepared by
Mrs. Schaaffe -McFarlane
wishmyteacherseyeswouldnt
gopastmetoday.Wishhedknow
itsokaytohugmewhenIkick
agoal.Wish Imyselfwouldntholdbackwhenanswercomes.
Imnowoodchoppernow
likeallancestors.
wishtorchthrowersofnight
wouldburnlightsfordecenttimes.
Wishplottersinpyjamaswouldpray
forthemselves.Wishpeoplewouldnt
talkasifIdroppedfromMars.
IwishIcouldbeeducated
Tothebestoftuneup,andearn
Goodmoneyandnotsinktolick
Boots.IwishIcouldgoonevery
wishonlyboyswerescared
behindbravados,foricouldsuffer.
Icouldsufferabigbiglot.
crisscrosswayoftheglobe
Andnopersonsorpowersor
Hotelkeeperswouldmakeitawaste
I
wishlifewouldntspendmeout
opposing.Wishsamewaycreation
wouldhavemestanditwouldhave
mestretch,andholdhigh,myvoice
PaulRobesons,myinsideeye
asun.Nobodywantstosay
hellotonastyanswers.
wishnobodywouldwanttoearn
theterribleburdenIcansuffer.
ByJamesBerry
James Berry
James Berry
JamesBerry(b.1924)spenthischildhoodina
villageinJamaica,beforeworkingintheUnited
States.HesettledinBritainin1948wherehe
hasremainedeversince.Oneofthefirstblack
writersinBritaintoachievewiderrecognition,
Berryrosetoprominencein1981whenhewon
theNationalPoetryCompetition.
Hisangerattheseinjusticesmotivatessomeof
hispoems,particularly when writing about his
father's ill treatment at the hands of his white
employers. However,theoverridingtoneof
Berry'spoetryisoneofcelebration.Without
denyingthehurtofthecolonialexperience,he
choosestodefyprejudicechoosinginsteadto
emphasize,theunityofcultures.
James Berry
Thereisanemotionaldualityinhiswork.
OnonehandweseeBerry'sloveofthesensualand
imaginativerichnessofhisJamaicanbackgroundinhis
work;
ontheotherhand,thisinheritanceiscontaminatedwith
thebitteroppressionsofslavery.
James Berry
Howdoesapoetrepresenttwodistinctly
differentculturesintheirwork?Howdid
JamesBerryinterprethisexperienceand
thoseofotherJamaicanswhomigrated
toEnglandinthelate1940sintohis
writing?JamesBerrywasbornin
Jamaicain1924,butmovedtoEngland
duringthewaveofimmigrationfromthe
WestIndiesledbytheEmpireWindrush.
FromayoungageBerryhadaninterest
inlanguage,andshowedanaptitudefor
spokenwordandthroughwritingsoon
realizedhecouldexploretheworldfrom
differentperspectives.Hebecamepartof
anewgenerationofpost-colonialpoets
whodrewinspirationfromtheircountryof
birthinadditiontoBritishculture.
Content
Summary
In the poem a little black boy had the dream that he would
not be judged by the colour of his skin.
In the poem the boy articulates his thoughts and emotions
in abstract images.
The poem might be seen as awish listwhich draws
attention to the areas which this boy sees the need for
change. The wordwishis used twelve(12) times.
He dreams and wishes for the rights that should be
bestowed to all human beings - recognition and love, the
freedom of movement, freedom in the choice of careers
and speech.
These images used by the poet, appeal to the emotions
and the reader sympathizes with the little boy.
Point-of-view
Significance of the
Title
Title
Stanza by Stanza
Stanza 1
Stanza 1
Stanza 2
Stanza 2
He wants to be free to
travel all over the world
without being humiliated by
being told that there are
certain places that he
cannot enter because of his
colour. no hotel
keepers would make it
awaste. The word waste
implies that he would
bewasting time, effort
and money if he cannot
enjoy a trip that he pays for.
Stanza 3
In
Stanza 3
Stanza 4
Stanza 4
Stanza 5
His final wish expressed in the last two lines of the poem
shows that the boy has a social conscience. He is not only
concerned about himself, but he cares about all people.
Language
Diction
Words & Phrases
I wish
Okay to hug me
No woodchopper
Spend me out
Nasty answers
Plotters in pyjamas
Only boys were scared
Terrible burden
Suffer
Bravados
Their Effect
Techniques
Figurative Devices
Repetition
Metaphor
Metaphor
Simile
Allusion
Alliteration
Themes
Racism
Childhood Experiences
Written Task