Comparing the Different Cultures Poems by Theme (Both Clusters)
Origins and cultural
identities (where you come
from)
The difficulty of belonging
to two different cultures
Poems where the poet explores the theme (there are
others you could justify comparing!)
Limbo, Nothing’s Changed, Island Man, Search for My
Tongue, Unrelated Incidents, Presents From My Aunts in
Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
Island Man, Search for My Tongue, Presents From My Aunts
in Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
Anger at discrimination and
racial prejudice in society
Nothing’s Changed, Two Scavengers in a Truck…, Unrelated
Incidents, Half-Caste, Not My Business
Alienation (being left out
and feeling alone)
Nothing’s Changed, Search for My Tongue, Presents From My
Aunts in Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
The strength of childhood
memories
Nothing’s Changed, Night of the Scorpion, Presents From My
Aunts in Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
Limbo, Night of the Scorpion, What Were They Like?, Search
for My Tongue, Unrelated Incidents, Presents From My Aunts
in Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
Limbo, Blessing, Night of the Scorpion, Love After Love, This
Room
Common Theme
Respect for ancient
traditions/cultures/language
Survival in spite of
circumstances
Acceptance of who you are
Love After Love, This Room, Presents From My Aunts in
Pakistan, Hurricane Hits England
Describing places in detail
Blessing, Night of the Scorpion, This Room, Presents From
My Aunts in Pakistan
Basic lifestyles, close
communities
Blessing, Night of the Scorpion, What were They Like?
Conflict – inner conflict and
political turmoil
What Were They Like?, Love After Love, This Room, Not My
Business, Hurricane Hits England
A sense of Humanity – how
we treat each other
Limbo, Nothing’s Changed, Vultures, What Were They Like?,
Half-Caste, Not My Business
You could print this out and put it on your wall – learning a little often is the best way to
remember it! 
Note how some of the poems explore a number of themes: should be short of time to
revise, focus on the “meaty” ones which are most generally applicable.
Ask yourself HOW and IN WHAT WAY the poets explore the themes – you may think
some do so better than others. What’s the poet’s tone and perspective? Does the poem
end in some kind of resolution, or hope: or is it more bitter or pessimistic?
Remember that you could be asked to compare by form. For example, Dharker’s poems
“Blessing” and “This Room” are both written in free verse and are similarly laid out on the
page: why might the poet have used this form?
You could be asked to compare on an aspect of language: for example, dialectical words
and phrases are used in “Half-Caste” and “Unrelated Incidents”, as well as a lack of
punctuation: why have the poets wriiten in this way? See the link to Style of DC Poems.