4. ‘Search for My Tongue’ by Sujata Bhatt
Bio of the Poet
- Sujata Bhatt (b. 1956): An Indian-born poet who moved to the UK and later to Germany.
- Her work often deals with cultural identity, language loss, and bilingual experience.
- ‘Search for My Tongue’ reflects Bhatt’s own struggles with maintaining her mother tongue (Gujarati) while living in a Western culture.
Detailed Summary
- The speaker expresses her fear of losing her mother tongue due to the dominance of English.
- She describes her mother tongue as something that withers like a dead plant when unused.
- A turning point occurs in the middle of the poem where Gujarati is physically inserted into the poem.
- The mother tongue returns like a growing plant, symbolising resilience.
- Ends with a hopeful assertion that the mother tongue will not die.
Main Themes
- Language and Identity
- Cultural Displacement
- Bilingualism and Belonging
- Loss and Recovery
- Inner Conflict
Literary Analysis
- Form: Free verse; includes a central section written in Gujarati.
- Structure: The shift to Gujarati in the middle visually and structurally represents the cultural tension.
- Tone: Confessional, emotional, proud.
- Imagery:
- Language is compared to a plant: can rot or grow.
- Use of metaphors: “It grows back, a stump of a shoot…”
- Language is compared to a plant: can rot or grow.
- Sound: Juxtaposition of English and Gujarati reflects inner duality.
Main Message
- The poem asserts that one’s cultural identity, especially language, cannot be erased—it is deeply embedded.
- Despite external pressures, the mother tongue can survive, thrive, and reassert itself.
Expected Exam Questions
- How does Bhatt use structure and language to show cultural conflict in ‘Search for My Tongue’?
- What is the significance of the poem’s title?
- How is identity explored in this poem?
- How does Bhatt show the power and resilience of her mother tongue?