A Different History – Sujata Bhatt
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课程笔记
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.
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练习题
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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.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.In 'A Different History', which language is described as the 'oppressor's tongue'?
Medium- AEnglish
- BHindi
- CGujarati
- DSanskrit
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.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.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.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.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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