no problem*

• what effect does repetition have?

  • gives personal aspects
  • short lines suggests you should feel the impact of each line
• who is the author + when was the poem written?


  • benjamin zephaniah
  • 1996
• where is emotive language shown?


  1. "silly playground taunts"
  2. "racist stunts"
• what does the poem reflect?

  • his personal struggles
  • his african/jamaican accent
• what person is the poem written in?

  1st person
• what is the significance of starting with "i am not de problem"

  he is introducing himself as a victim
• "I am not de problem but I bear de brunt"


  1st person: he introduces himself as the victim. The repetition of "I am not de problem" reaffirms the fact that racists are the problem, not those subjected to racism. The short sentences highlight that you should feel the impact of each line.
• "now I am branded athletic"


  the speaker discusses how he is labelled by his teachers as athletic, not academic, conforming to racist stereotypes that black people are naturally musical, rythmic, and athletic (and on the flip side, less intelligent and prone to criminality). The speaker argues that his true potential has been overlooked as he has been pigeon-holed.
• "I have no chips on me shoulder"


  having a chip on your shoulder is an idiomatic expression that means you feel inferior to others or are angry because you have been treated unfairly. The speaker asserts that he has no sense of inferiority, is proud of his identity, and won't be affected by these stereotypes that he faces.
• "black is not de problem"


  explains how being black is not the issue (contrary to negative media portrayals of black people) that he is rising above the discrimination he has faced and the issue lies with racists and racist behaviour. He is following the refrain from earlier but switching out "I" for "black".