đź“ť Search for My Tongue by Sujata Bhatt
đź“Ś Poet Bio:
Sujata Bhatt is a British-Indian poet known for her exploration of identity, language, and belonging. Her work often addresses themes of cultural conflict, the effects of migration, and the personal experiences of diaspora. “Search for My Tongue” reflects Bhatt’s concerns with language and the immigrant experience.
đź“Ś Summary:
“Search for My Tongue” is a poem about the emotional and psychological turmoil of losing one’s native language due to migration. The speaker expresses the struggle to preserve their identity and culture in a new environment while grappling with the feeling of being disconnected from their mother tongue. The poem details how language shapes self-identity and the deep sense of loss when it is no longer accessible.
In the second part, the poem shifts from loss to rediscovery, as the speaker finds their tongue again, suggesting that language can be reclaimed even after it seems lost. This process of recovery symbolizes the reassertion of cultural and personal identity. Bhatt highlights the conflict between adaptation and preservation that comes with living between two cultures.
đź“Ś Themes:
- Identity and self-expression
- Language as a part of identity
- Displacement and migration
- Conflict between cultures
- Loss and recovery
đź“Ś Style:
- Free verse with varied line lengths
- Use of imagery to represent language loss and recovery
- Bilingual text to reflect the linguistic conflict
- Emotional, personal tone of the speaker
- Symbolism of the tongue as a powerful cultural tool