racist labels that people use for those who are mixed race. Rebellion of language from non-standard English (Caribbean creole dialect & heritage)

linguistic rebellion through assertion of the legitamacy of his cultural & linguistic heritage

harmful effects of stereotypes on poc. Linguistic rebellion from use of non-standard English against prejudices white culture has placed on him

internal for mother having to let her child go, whilst protecting her

red has lots of contrasting connotations: love, hate, anger, passion, thus reflecting the nature of a mother daughter relationship

also a contrast in the box-like room to the softness of the circles

The voice's cries through labour juxtapose with the cold clinical environment of the hospital

list of adjectives with assonance to reveal her combined frustration with admiration of her daughter

references how the now teenage Catrin is becoming increasingly powerful & strong-willed as well as aware of what she wants and how to get it

volunteered at a women's shelter for fallen women (sex before marriage

between the speaker and her cousin Kate, who have both been involved romantically & sexually with a Lord

It also implies a differing opinion on the speaker's view on the relationship with the Lord (shameless) compared with societies view (shameful)

oxymoronic language mirrors how she is confused and conflicted she is / was about the situation

this really emphasises her jealous emotions towards her cousin

throughout the poem she is refereed to as wolf-like animals "I sit and howl" but this line contrasts her now outcast status in society

the use of avian imagery at this point to suggests that her cousin was able to "fly" higher socially because of her marriage

It also demonstrates how powerless she feels in this situation

the speaker clearly regrets that she allowed herself to love and care for the lord and go into his bed

The speaker wants Kate to know that the only difference between them is that the Lord fell for the speaker first then Kate

violent visceral verb "spit" & the decisive placement of the line at the end of the stanza shows the speaker's moral judgement on the betrayal of her cousin

class conflict - prejudice & discrimination

helps highlight her point that lower classes are seen as less intelligent

informal term for the council housing shows her Liverpudlian roots

positive auditory & tactile imagery vs humorous, coarse descriptions of the harsh realities

shows the expectation that middle / upper class women should be clean & smell fresh and not be involved in "dirty work"

By referring to herself by her class at the end of the poem she is showing an act of reclaiming her title

The exclamatory emphasis the defiant tone the speaker has maintained throughout the rest of the poem

blatant in her frustration and anger that she is repeatedly labelled as a result of her class

shift in tone from the first to the second stanza. From communicating positivity to pondering the effects of racial abuse

first stanza is three lines to emphatically introduce the poem

the middle stanzas are significantly longer showing a passive stream of consciousness from Agard

Guyanese / non-standard English dialect of the pronoun "yuself" serves to demand the listener accounts for their racist attitudes towards the mixed race speaker

Begins with an insincere apology, establishing a sarcastic tone

this combines to create an accusatory & confrontational yet humorous tone

the repetition of "whole" towards the end of the poem contrasts with "half"

repetition of the adverb half forces the reader to confront the absurdity of the notion mixed race people are only half

Auditory imagery "half caste symphony" depicts the speaker's identity in a beautiful way, highlighting the incorrectness of the previously used dissonant terms

sensory imagery clearly depicts the two-sided nature of the beautiful things in society

This serves to conclude that the speaker is no less a person than the listener

the speaker won't make excuses for his racial identity and those who discriminate against it

A climactic shift in tone at the end of the poem to "Black is not de problem", explaining how being black isn't an issue (contrary to media portrayals). showing that he can rise above the discrimination he faced

a refrain repeated several times throughout the first stanza to reaffirm that racists are the problem not those subjected to it

and on the flip side less intelligent and more prone to criminality

The speaker argues he has been "pigeon holed" according to these stereotypes and that his true potential has been overlooked

discusses how he is labelled athletic by his teachers, conforming to racist stereotypes that black people are naturally muscial, rhythmic and athletic

the aggressive verb "branded" links back to the times of slavery where black people would be physically branded as property

The fact that Zephania is able to end the poem on such a tone after referencing some dark and heavy experiences shows his resilience

The speaker is taking the upper hand over those he is addressing and showing how any racial divide is not his fault

Ends on a humorous, sarcastic tone, playing on the problimatic statement that "I can't be racist - I have black friends"