A Different History – Sujata Bhatt

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Lesson notes

The Poem and Its Context

  • 'A Different History' is by Sujata Bhatt and appears in the Songs of Ourselves Volume 1 anthology.
  • It is studied for Paper 1, Section A (Poetry); in the exam you answer one question from a choice of two on your cluster, and the poem is printed on the paper.
  • Bhatt was born in Gujarat, India, in 1956, and moved to America with her family in 1968; she calls her poetry 'Indian-English'.
  • The poem was part of her 1988 debut collection 'Brunizem'; the title refers to a kind of soil found in India, suggesting a deep connection to her roots.
  • Like many of Bhatt's poems, it examines diaspora and the conflict between her Indian heritage and life in the English-speaking world.

What the Poem Is About

  • The poem describes traditional Indian values related to Hinduism and considers the influence of English as a result of British imperialism.
  • It places emphasis on the positive aspects of Bhatt's own culture and traditions.
  • It explores the effects of colonialism in India on individual and communal identity.
  • It considers the way English is used to suppress and overpower, and wonders at the love for it, but concludes that language itself is not to blame.

Opening: Pan in India (Lines 1–3)

  • The poem begins by stating that 'Great Pan' — a classical god of the wilderness and fertility — is alive and has moved to India.
  • Pan's death symbolises the end of paganism as Christianity spread; the reference alludes to a line by Greek philosopher Plutarch: 'the great god Pan is dead'.
  • Bhatt introduces themes of heritage and culture by implying a 'Great' god of nature has chosen India, which she suggests is ironic.
  • The allusion to 'Pan' sits next to the litotes of 'simply emigrated' and the indented line 'to India', suggesting this is unexpected.

Indian Culture and Nature (Lines 4–6)

  • The speaker explains why 'Great Pan' has moved to India: there, the gods 'roam freely', disguised as animals and trees.
  • Bhatt refers to Hindu gods in the shape of 'snakes' and 'monkeys', using imagery of harmony and freedom.
  • She separates the phrase 'every tree is sacred' to highlight deep respect for nature and equality as an overarching ideology in traditional India.
  • Bhatt highlights aspects of Indian culture that, she says, contrast with the West.

The Sanctity of Books (Lines 7–18)

  • The speaker shifts to a list of traditional Hindu rules about books: it is a 'sin' to disrespect books or treat them 'carelessly'.
  • Bhatt uses enjambment and the conjunction 'and' to connect books and nature, showing their similar prominence in Indian culture and the Hindu religion.
  • She emphasises this with a list, as if reciting from scripture, and juxtaposes religious language with informal verbs like 'shove' and 'toss'.
  • In direct address, she presents ancient traditional values as a certainty with the modal verb 'must', perhaps suggesting all cultures have strict rules.
  • Personification is applied to trees as it was previously to books: one should not be 'rude to a book' nor 'offend' a tree.
  • Damaging a book could 'offend' the tree it was made from, or disturb 'Sarasvati', the Hindu goddess of learning and knowledge.

Language, Oppression and Empire (Lines 19–29)

  • The second stanza begins with two questions about whether all language ('tongue') is used to oppress, and whether language 'truly meant to murder someone'.
  • The repeated questions highlight 'oppressor's tongue' and 'murder', introducing darker ideas regarding colonialism.
  • The final lines are one long sentence considering how the 'strange' English language could be so loved by India's 'unborn grandchildren'.
  • It reflects on 'torture' inflicted by the 'conqueror's face' (Imperial Britain); a 'long scythe' refers to tools which, Bhatt says, 'cropped' or cut down the Indian identity.
  • The seven-line sentence conveys Bhatt's overwhelming frustration with India's continued love for English, a language which once suppressed her native country.
  • Bhatt ends as she begins, with bitter irony: 'And how does it happen' — phrased as a question but posed as a statement, implying an irreversible yet 'strange' truth.

Form and Structure

  • Bhatt's free verse follows an irregular rhythm, presenting a thoughtful yet irreverent speaker who debates the power of language and its part in suppressing cultural identity.
  • The poem lacks rhyme or consistent rhythm, but uses assonance ('freely' and 'monkeys') and sibilance ('disturbing Sarasvati') to create a lyrical quality.
  • This evokes a sense of harmony in the parts dealing with Hindu and Indian values relating to humans, nature and books.
  • This changes when lines are irregularly indented to present a flippant speaker, as in lines 1–3; Bhatt alters the tone to sardonically interrogate the power of language to oppress.
  • The poem is made up of two irregular stanzas that shift between narrative perspective: stanza 1 has a calm speaker describing classical and Indian culture and religion, while stanza 2 introduces a second-person voice that bitterly questions the reader.
  • Bhatt uses parallelism to give the speaker's language a thoughtful pace — for example, the repetition of 'it is a sin' — evoking a stern warning to emphasise the power of respecting a culture and its traditions.

Language and Key Ideas

  • Bhatt's poem employs classical allusion and informal language to present cultural tensions, especially between the past and the future.
  • Persuasive language presents an argument about the power of language.
  • The poem uses anaphora in 'it is a sin' to highlight religious language, and in 'Which language' to question the violence of a 'conqueror's face' who cuts down metaphorical 'souls' with a 'swooping' 'scythe'.
  • Bhatt juxtaposes classical and traditional allusion with informal verbs like 'shove' and 'toss', embedding ancient references and metaphor in a contemporary debate on the English language and its popularity with India's 'unborn grandchildren'.
  • The poem refers to mythology, Hinduism and post-colonial attitudes in a rambling, irregular poem that conveys cultural tensions and contrasts.

Cultural and Individual Identity

  • 'A Different History' highlights Bhatt's native culture by referring to Hindu gods and the respect and harmony between humans and nature.
  • She mentions 'Sarasvati' and, by implication, Hanuman, monkey god of wisdom, and snakes that may belong to gods Shiva and Vishnu.
  • Alongside this, she uses informal English like 'toss' and 'shove'.
  • India became a colony under British rule in the nineteenth century, amidst much turmoil.
  • In the poem, English is described as the 'oppressor's tongue', alluding to its continued prominence in India; Bhatt describes successive generations speaking English in the final lines that mention 'unborn grandchildren' who love the 'strange' language.

Exam Focus and Tips

  • The question encourages an informed personal response: 'personal' means expressing what the text means to you, and 'informed' means referring closely to the text in justifying your interpretations.
  • Quoting lines and explaining their meaning is not considered analysis — instead, explore how the poet makes decisions about language, using linguistic terms to explain the effect on the reader.
  • Write about how the poet uses patterns of language, tone of voice through rhythm and rhyme, and how endings present ideas.
  • Historical facts or biographical information about the poet do not add value to answers; 'context' is rewarded whenever you explore ideas about theme, and points about societal values should be linked to the writer's purpose.
  • Engage with the key words of the question; words such as 'moving', 'disturbing' or 'memorable' indicate a particular focus, and high-achieving responses examine the techniques that create such effects.
  • Use the poet's name to keep thinking of the text as a conscious construct, and use connectives to link ideas into a coherent argument.
  • Aim for a brief introduction, at least three paragraphs and a concise conclusion; divide your time equally between the poetry and prose questions — about 45 minutes on each, as each is worth 25 marks.
  • No marks are given for comments on other poems in the anthology — concentrate only on the poem given.

Slides

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Practice questions

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  1. 1.In Sujata Bhatt's 'A Different History', where does the poem say the god Pan has gone?

    Easy
    • ATo India
    • BTo England
    • CTo America
    • DTo Greece

  2. 2.In 'A Different History', which Hindu goddess of learning and knowledge is named as being disturbed if a book is treated carelessly?

    Easy
    • ASarasvati
    • BLakshmi
    • CDurga
    • DParvati

  3. 3.In 'A Different History', which language is described as the 'oppressor's tongue'?

    Medium
    • AEnglish
    • BHindi
    • CGujarati
    • DSanskrit

  4. 4.In 'A Different History', what does the phrase 'unborn grandchildren' refer to?

    Medium
    • AFuture generations of Indians who will love English
    • BThe speaker's own children
    • CChildren yet to be born in England
    • DThe gods who roam freely in India

  5. 5.In 'A Different History', what does the 'long scythe swooping out / of the conqueror's face' represent?

    Medium
    • AThe violence of British imperialism cropping the Indian identity
    • BA farming tool used in traditional Indian agriculture
    • CThe poet's own writing instrument
    • DA weapon used by the Hindu gods

  6. 6.In 'A Different History', which of the following is NOT listed as a 'sin' in the poem?

    Medium
    • AReading a book too slowly
    • BBeing rude to a book
    • CShoving a book aside with your foot
    • DTossing a book carelessly across a room

  7. 7.In 'A Different History', which of the following are described as sacred or divine? (select all that apply)

    Medium
    • ATrees
    • BBooks
    • CSnakes
    • DMonkeys
    • EThe English language

  8. 8.In 'A Different History', which of the following are themes explored by Bhatt? (select all that apply)

    Medium
    • ACultural identity
    • BThe effects of colonialism on language
    • CThe relationship between humans and nature
    • DThe importance of Hindu religious traditions
    • EThe beauty of the English countryside

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