singh song!

Question 1

CONTEXT

Answer 1

• poet’s parents came from india to UK in late 1050s/early 1960s
• his family owned a corner shop
• he is a second generation immigrant
• he watned to wright a happy love peom

Question 2

MEANING

Answer 2

• poem focuses on the love the shop worker has for his wife and how he abondones his duties in the shop to makr love to her, he neglects the shop
• uses comedy to enhance the relationship bewteen the husband and his wife but also the secondary reltaionship between the speaker and his parents

Question 3

STRUCTURE - reptition a the start of the stanzas in the middle of the poem

Answer 3

• “my bride” ((repeats at start three times))
  -> all ablout marriage
  -» repeition reflects how speaker becomes obsessed with his wife and forgets about work

Question 4

STRUCTURE - how does the structure go at the start of the poem

Answer 4

• alternates for 4 stanzas between work and marriage ((then changes to repetition on “my bride” fo rthree stanzas))
  -> relfects the pull the speaker feel between work adn love
  -> changes as poem progresses

Question 5

STRUCTURE - use of refrains and repeition

Answer 5

• a melodic form to the poem
  -> with a stable rhythm
  -> and song-esque pace
• refrains ushc as “in di worst worst indian shop // on di whole indian road” and “my bride”
  -> somewhat mimic the chorus of a song

Question 6

LANGUAGE - analyse the title

Answer 6

• pun using the traditional indina surname “singh” which and inserting it into the phrase “sing song” which connotes a peaceufl song
  -> situates the poem in a very specific communitu within the large society
• musicality - jovial tone with good rhythm

Question 7

LANGUAGE - “i run just one ov my daddy’s shops from 9 oclock to 9 oclock”

Answer 7

• “daddy’s”
  -> love and affection
  -> critisism, satirical effect as he treats him like a child
  -> wife mocks dad when speaker says she “making fun at my daddy”
  -> speaker loves father and wife
  -> a poem between the speaker’s love for his indian culture coupled with his love for his new home land in britain and love for britain
• speaker is quite resentful of long hours (seeminlgy)
  -> fathe ris first generation immigrant and he worked hard for the shop and the son neglects it = tension in relationship
• repetion of 90clock
  -> reflects the repeittive, monotonnous work in shop and empahisez the hard work
• “just” = adverb
  -> creates sense of insecurity and lacking -> family pressure for him to work there
  -» sets up another relationship = strained father and son relationship

Question 8

LANGUAGE - “like vee rowing through putney”

Answer 8

• punjabi for wife
  -> symblosis love between his indian culture and his wife (??)
• strange similes to provide comedy and humour to the stanza
• repeated “vee” throughout (but can link here)
  -> creates a sense of unity in the relatiosnhip alongside the verb “share” in “ vee share in di chutney”
  -» emphaises the closeness of the couple

Question 9

LANGUAGE - “tartan sari”

Answer 9

• “tartan” is scottish
• “sari” is indian and worn by wife
• CULTURE CLASH
  -> both are loved and embraced by speaker

Question 10

LANGUAGE - vee come down whispering staris “and sit on my silver stool”

Answer 10

• “silver” is a precious metal
  -> can connote modernisma dn sohpistication
• sibilance “sit” and “silver stool”
  -> mirros the claming language used in this stanza to emphasise how the shoep could be void of customers

Question 11

LANGUAGE - “vee stare past de half - price window sings at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon”

Answer 11

• “brighty” adjective
  -> sounds liek “blighty”
  -» indians used to describe england (common phrase)
• romantic and positive image
  = (all together)
  -> shows the conflict between love for england and love for indian or even the blending of cultures as each is importatnt to speaker, linkt o tartan sari here

Question 12

LANGUAGE - repeititon of “baby”

Answer 12

• affectionate noun
• typically english slang = culture minglign

Question 13

LANGUAGE - phonetic spelling

Answer 13

• forcing english to engage with accent as when you read the poem it sounds like an idian accent
• mirrors the indian accent
  -> musicallity that links to title
• colloquialsim

Question 14

LANGUAGE - juxtaposition

Answer 14

• “tiny eyes ov a gun and di tummy ov a teddy”
  -> wife is fierce and sweet
  -» multifaceted

Question 15

quotes

Answer 15

• “my bride”
• “in di worst worst indian shop // on di whole indian road”
• “i run just one ov my daddy’s shops from 9 oclock to 9 oclock”
• “like vee rowing through putney”
• “tartan sari”
• “and sit on my silver stool”
• “vee stare past de half - price window sings at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon”
• “baby”
• “tiny eyes ov a gun and di tummy ov a teddy”