papa T

• who wrote Papa-T?

  Fred D’Aguiar
• What poem is referenced throughout Papa-T?

  The Charge of The Light Brigade
• Subject of poem?

  Explores ideas of intertextuality, family connections and culture clashes

  Autobiographical-takes form of a memory of grandad reciting COLB

  references poem frequently + reminisces abt grandfather

  Final stanza brings reader back to present day - speaker conveys how speaker uses grandfather+memories as inspiration

  Implicit references to relationship Britain had with its colonies -

  being taught poem ‘at sea’ implies cultural repression

  references how indigenous people encourage to ‘serve’ empire
• Tone of the poem?

  Affectionate towards grandfather and family- recalling past events and being inspired by them
• Where is there a sense of conflict in the poem?

  in imagined battle scene + implicit horror in descriptions of soldiers being ‘picked off’ and dying
• where do we see the affectionate relationship?


  Shown though humourous descriptions of grandfathers exaggerated voice when reciting

  “Our sweet sea salter” - sibilance.

  affectionate “our” + reference to colonialism where people were forced to join places like navy to ‘serve’ empire

  honours his grandfather.
• what adds a more rebellious tone towards the end of poem?

  ‘To disobey’ last word introduces more rebellious tone towards British influences

  Reference to obedience of COLB which led to deaths - hints at dangers of following orders blindly

  Obedience lacked when younger when they’d ‘sit tight’

  Shows speaker reflecting on events
• Rhyme and rhythm of poem?

  Free verse - but some syllabic similarities between lines

  6 Lines each + some enjambment

  Freeing himself from poetic constraints of original poem / British poetry - throw off colonial ideas + embrace traditions ‘disobeying’ Tennyson

  shift between first 2 verses and last vers

  first 2 focusing on childhood memory

  last 1 bringing us back to present day + act of writing poetry

  switching tenses from past and present
• Imagery in the poem?

  Interacts with original poem but changes setting

  Landscape of Victorian imperial warfare confused with Guyanese jungle

  Affectionate memory in contrast to conflict T describes