Singh Song! (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology at GCSE contains 15 poems and in your exam question you will be given one poem – printed in full – and asked to compare this printed poem to another. As this is a closed-book exam, you will not have access to the second poem, so you will have to know it from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to revise. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-grade response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages of the poet 
• How the poet conveys these ideas through their methods
• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas of other poets in the anthology

Below is a guide to Daljit Nagra’s poem 'Singh Song!' from AQA's Love and Relationships anthology. It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s Methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Daljit Nagra’s intention and message

'Singh Song!' in a nutshell

'Singh Song!' is a dramatic monologue told from the perspective of a young man named Singh who works in his father's corner shop. The narrator describes how the passionate love between him and his new wife leads to distraction as he neglects his duties and defies family traditions. 

Singh Song! overview

Lines 1 - 3

“I run just one ov my daddy’s shops

from 9 O’clock to 9 O’clock

and he vunt me not to hav a break”

Translation

• The narrator explains his father owns many businesses and he works hard for him 

Nagra’s intention

• The poem’s speaker seems dissatisfied working for his father who, it is implied, is a strict and wealthy boss

Line 4 

“but ven nobody in, I do di lock –”

Translation

• The poem’s speaker ends the first stanza with a defiant statement, telling the reader that he breaks the rules and locks the shop

Nagra’s intention

• The poem changes direction with a volta, suggesting that the narrator does not adhere to his family’s expectations 

Lines 5 - 9

“cos up di stairs is my newly bride

vee share in chapatti

vee share in di chutney

after vee hav made luv

like vee rowing through Putney –”

Translation

• The narrator explains why he locks the shop; his new wife is upstairs 
• He describes how they eat after they have made love, as if they are rowing a boat through London

Nagra’s Intention

• Here, Nagra begins to comment on the combination of cultures in his life by blending images of rowing in Putney with the food of India
• The romantic ideas in the poem work alongside the comedic effect, using incongruous images to allude to the odd mixture of cultural influence in his life 

Lines 10 - 12

“ven I return vid my pinnie untied

di shoppers always point and cry:

hey Singh, ver yoo bin?!”

Translation

• The narrator jokes that when he goes back to the shop he is not properly dressed
• He takes on the voices of his customers:
• He seems to be on good terms with them as they know his name, but they need him in the shop 

Nagra’s intention 

• The narrator suggests he is often neglectful of his duties:
• He takes on the dialogue of customers to acknowledge his disobedience causes problems for the community
• He gives away his constant disobedience with the adverb “always” to show his defiance

Lines 13 - 17

“yor lemons are limes

yor bananas are plantain,

dis dirty little floor need a little bit of mop

in di worst Indian shop

on di whole Indian road –”

Translation

• The dialogue of the customers lists their complaints about how he manages the shop
• They exaggerate how badly he runs the business

Nagra’s intention

• Here, Nagra shows his poet persona, the narrator, as good-natured as he is happy to admit he is not a good employee
• However, the hyperbole and long list of complaints show him to be unreliable and letting down his family and community

Lines 18 -21

“above my head high heel tap di ground

as my vife on di web is playing wid di mouse

ven she netting two cat on her Sikh lover site

she book dem for di meat at di cheese ov her price –”

Translation

• The speaker describes the sound of his wife’s footsteps upstairs
• He explains she is on the internet on her dating site

Nagra’s intention

• Nagra shows the narrator distracted again by his wife to express the intense love he feels:
• The sensory image shows his emotional state: he hears her high-heels upstairs 
• He imagines her on her dating site, implying he is daydreaming about her

Lines 22 - 26

“my bride

she effing at my mum

in all di colours of Punjabi

den stumble like a drunk

making fun at my daddy” 

Translation

• The speaker describes his bride as he daydreams about her
• The description implies she, too, is rebellious in nature:
• She swears at the mother in Punjabi
• She drinks and mocks the father 

Nagra’s intention

• The poet alludes to generational and cultural differences:
• While the bride still speaks in their language she behaves in a way which defies traditional family values 
• The speaker implies he has similar values to his new wife

Lines 27 - 29

“my bride

tiny eyes ov a gun

and di tummy ov a teddy”

Translation

• The speaker is clearly unable to think of much other than his new wife as he continues to discuss her:
• He describes her eyes as dark, and perhaps, dangerous, like the hole in a gun
• He describes her stomach in endearing terms, comparing its softness to a teddy

Nagra’s intention

• The poet uses oxymoron to describe the wife:
• He shows her as comforting to him, while defiant to the family
• The ambiguous characterisation alludes to the multi-cultural influences of modern Britain which the new wife embodies 

Lines 30 - 34

“my bride

she hav a red crew cut

and she wear a Tartan sari

a donkey jacket and some pumps

on di squeak ov di girls dat are pinching all my sweeties –”

Translation

• The speaker describes the appearance of his wife:
• Her short, red hairstyle defies traditional expectations
• Her clothing suggests the multi-cultural nature of her environment as she combines traditional Indian and Scottish clothing

Nagra’s intention

• The poet again depicts the romantic nature of their relationship by referring to her as “my bride” which suggests his pride and love
• He vividly describes the incongrous nature of her appearance as she embodies various cultures, suggesting she, too, is challenging family expectations

Lines 35 - 37

“ven I return from di tickle ov my bride

di shoppers always point and cry:

hey Singh, ver yoo bin?”

Translation

• The speaker refers back to the moments upstairs which he and his bride share instead of watching the shop

Nagra’s intention

• The speaker is preoccupied with the physical relationship with his new wife, which conveys the poem’s theme of romantic love

Lines 38 - 42

“di milk is out ov date

and di bread is alvays stale,

the tings yoo hav on offer yoo hav never got in stock

in di worst Indian shop

on di whole Indian road –”

Translation

• The speaker again takes on the dialogue of the customers to list the many ways he neglects the duties in the shop
• He does not change old stock or order new stock

Nagra’s intention

• The speaker is happy to emphasise the many times he and his wife share private moments away from his job:
• Perhaps Nagra does this to convey the passion of their relationship as they face societal pressures

Lines 43 - 47

“late in di midnight hour

ven yoo shoppers are wrap up quiet

ven di precinct is concrete-cool

vee cum down whispering stairs

and sit on my silver stool,”

Translation

• The speaker shifts tone and relates the late-night visits he and his wife make into the shop
• He describes the dark, silent, cool nights as they sneak into the shop 

Nagra’s intention

• The poet uses sensory image  to connote to the exciting and sensual nature of the experience, showing the significance of physical unity and the comforting nature of romantic love

Lines 48 - 50

“from behind di chocolate bars

vee stare past di half-price window signs

at di beaches ov di UK in di brightey moon –”

Translation

• The speaker describes how he and his wife stare out of the windows at the moonlit night

Nagra’s intention

• The description of having to look past the cheap shop signs to see the moonlit beach  adds a comedic element to the poem
• Nagra’s poem explores combined cultures: 
• He refers to British culture while using a phonetic Punjabi accent and mixed dialect

• The romantic moment hints at the comfort found in their alliance

Lines 51 - 54

“from di stool each night she say,

how much do yoo charge for dat moon baby?

from di stool each night I say,

is half di cost ov yoo baby,”

Translation

• The poem changes to dialogue between the wife and the narrator, creating a more personal tone
• The wife asks how much the moon costs, mocking the father’s business

Nagra’s intention

• The lines take on the structure of banter:
• The narrator answers with a witty reply, joking to her that she is more expensive than the moon 
• The personal conversation excludes the listener which brings a sense of intimacy to the poem

Lines 55 - 58

“from di stool each night she say,

how much does dat come to baby?

from di stool each night I say,

is priceless baby –”

Translation

• The speaker continues the dialogue to end the poem on a sentimental note:
• The wife continues to joke about his job using language which mimics customer interactions
• The husband, however, ends the banter with a romantic statement:
• He describes their relationship as “priceless”, meaning it is so valuable you cannot put a price on his love for her

Nagra’s intention

• The poem’s comedic and witty tone changes at the end:
• The speaker expresses his love for her and provides a romantic justification for his disinterest in the father’s business

Although this section is organised into three separate sections – form, structure and language – it is always best to move from what the poet is presenting (the techniques they use; the overall form of the poem; what comes at the beginning, middle and end of a poem) to how and why they have made the choices they have. 

Focusing on the poet’s overarching ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. Crucially, in the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme and includes Daljit Nagra’s intentions behind his choices in terms of:

• Form
• Structure
• Language

Form

Daljit Nagra’s dramatic monologue depicts a light-hearted account of a romantic relationship  through the perspective of a young Indian husband so in love he neglects his work and is constantly distracted by his new wife.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Romantic relationships	The poem is a first-person account of a young man newly married: The free verse, irregular form conveys the speaker’s distracted state of mind in his new marriage	Nagra shows the speaker’s passion through the constantly changing rhythm of his voice, indicating his intense feelings, torn between his work, his daydreams and desire to be with his new wife
	The varied stanza form reflects the speaker’s animated voice: His voice alternates between monologue which expresses his feelings and his daydreams, to dialogue which represents the customer’s nagging and dissatisfied voices	Nagra’s long dramatic monologue shows the speaker caught between his fantasies and the pressures of reality:  He is disorganised and preoccupied, hence he forgets to order stock and deal with his customers
	Daljit Nagra’s poem depicts the passion of romance through the unstable voice of a young husband torn between his duties and love

Structure

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Marriage	Singh Song! has a hurried, yet informal tone:  An excited tone is conveyed through enjambment which presents the busy day he has in the shop and the stolen passion he shares with his new bride, such as in “after vee hav made luv/like vee rowing through Putney”	Nagra’s speaker conveys the speaker’s desperation to be with his new wife to depict the passion of new marriage
	By the end, his voice slows: lines with regular pauses describe a romantic moment with his bride The rhyming couplets at the end are spoken alternately by the narrator and his bride  Rhyme helps to give a magical quality to the setting: the “silver stool” and the “concrete-cool”	Nagra describes an intimate moment which calms the speaker in order to present the comforting nature of marriage
	Although the poem’s rhyme scheme is irregular , there are lines which rhyme:  The assonance mimics the musical nature of the Punjabi accent: "O'clock," and "lock" The next stanza rhymes “chapatti”, “chutney” and “Putney”	Nagra’s conversational poem uses rhyme for comedic effect to show the relationship as fun and light-hearted
	The speaker’s excited voice presents marriage as romantic and passionate, while the informal and comedic tone brings a light-hearted quality to the poem

Language

Nagra uses imagery to convey both the intimacy in the marriage and the generational and cultural differences within the family relationship which create challenges within romantic relationships.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Family relationships	The narrator, though a husband, uses child-like language, such as “daddy” and “brightey”	Nagra implies the speaker is still perceived as a child, presenting the speaker’s dependence within the close family relationship
	The speaker’s phonetic accent presents his connection with his Punjabi heritage as complex: He reflects his own mixed identity as he describes how he eats “chapatti” with his wife and then returns with his “pinnie untied”	Nagra’s poem explores cross-cultural issues with a speaker who is holding on to his cultural identity while living in Britain
	However, the young couple rebel from the traditional values of a strict father: He neglects his duties and is disinterested in working under his father’s control in his business: “but ven nobody in, I do di lock –” The wife swears at his mother and “stumble like a drunk/making fun at my daddy” wearing “Tartan sari”	The alliance between him and his new young wife reflect the challenges within the family relationship, commenting on generational and cultural differences
	Nagra explores the complexities of a modern marriage in which the young couple live closely within a traditional family

Examiners repeatedly state that context should not be considered as additional factual information: in this case, it is not random biographical information about Daljit Nagra or facts unrelated to the ideas in 'Singh Song!'. The best way to understand context is by understanding  the ideas and perspectives explored by Daljit Nagra in 'Singh Song!' which relate to romantic love and family relationships. 

This section has therefore been divided into two relevant themes that Daljit explores:

• Romantic love
• Family relationships 

Romantic love

• Daljit Nagra is a British poet born in 1966
• His poetry explores modern British life and makes reference to it in 'Singh Song!'
• He refers to his “pinnie”, “Putney” and the “beaches of the UK”
• In 'Singh Song!' Nagra shows the close alliance between him and his new wife in a modern Britain, with imagery reflecting their shared culture:
• They eat “chapattis” as they defy his father
• They make love as if they are “rowing in Putney”
• Their romance is passionate, despite the informal setting of a corner shop:
• They meet late at night “from behind di chocolate bars/vee stare past di half-price window signs”

Family Relationships 

• 'Singh Song!' appears in Nagra’s debut collection Look We Have Coming to Dover!, which explores the experiences of second-generation British-Indians, like Nagra
• Nagra often uses the form of dramatic monologue in his poetry to explore the experiences of his poet personae, particularly in terms of cultural stereotypes:
• Singh Song!, like much of his collection, is written in phonetic accent  mixing English with Punjabi to express his mixed heritage and identity:
• His wife is “effing at my mum//in all di colours of Punjabi”
• The poem explores the generational and cultural divide as the son is disinterested in the traditional values of his father, the shopkeeper
• His father works him from “from 9 O’clock to 9 O’clock”, alluding to the work ethic of his family
• Yet, he defies this and avoids work: “but ven nobody in, I do di lock –”

The essay you are required to write in your exam is a comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems. It is, therefore, essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents ideas about love or relationships, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Singh Song! explores the ideas of family relationships and romantic love, the following comparisons are the most appropriate:

• 'Singh Song!' and 'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’ 
• 'Singh Song!' and 'Follower' 
• 'Singh Song!' and 'Before You Were Mine'

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

'Singh Song!' and 'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Daljit Nagra’s 'Singh Song!' and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s 'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’ explore passionate romantic love with speakers who are distracted by a desire to be close to their loved one. While Nagra’s poem conveys these ideas through an informal and light-hearted dramatic monologue , Barrett Browning’s monologue is intense and more traditional.   

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both Daljit Nagra’s 'Singh Song!' and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s 'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’ comment on the nature of consuming romantic love
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Sonnet 29 - ‘ think of thee!’
	Nagra’s poem uses imagery to present the speaker’s distracted thoughts about a bride he believes is strong and feisty: He imagines her upstairs when he is supposed to be working, using sensory image to emphasise her character: “above my head high heel tap di ground”  Across three stanzas he describes his bride in close detail, as dangerous as well as comforting: “tiny eyes ov a gun//and di tummy ov a teddy”	The speaker here describes her absent lover with imagery which implies he is strong and dynamic: “Renew thy presence; as a strong tree should,//Rustle thy boughs and set thy trunk all bare”
	The repetition of the possessive pronoun in “my bride” suggests the consuming nature of their relationship	Here, too, the speaker refers to her lover with a possessive pronoun, alluding to the intense bond between them: “O my palm tree”
	Nagra and Barrett Browning show speakers consumed with thoughts of their loved ones in monologues which reflect on their absent loved ones in vivid description

Topic sentence	The poems present romantic love which is expressed through a desire for physical love
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’
	Nagra’s speaker daydreams about the shared moments of passion:  He describes how “after vee hav made luv” he returns “vid my pinnie untied”	The speaker suggests her lover’s presence will bring comfort using verbs which suggest physical love: She asks him to “drop” the leaves and “bare” his trunk in order to “burst” and “shatter” the tangled daydreaming
	The poem’s sensory image creates a romantic mood to represent the comfort of physical unity: Sibilance in “whispering stairs” and the “silver stool” emphasises the calm silence The description of the “brightey moon” creates an intimate mood	Similarly, the speaker here uses sensory image  to show the comfort physical unity will bring:  She tells her lover “in this deep joy to see and hear thee//And breathe within thy shadow a new air”
	Both Nagra and Barrett Browning explore the desire for physical love through speakers who daydream about being with their loved ones and the comfort this brings

Differences:

Topic sentence	While Nagra’s poem conveys these ideas through an informal and light-hearted dramatic monologue, Barrett Browning’s dramatic monologue is intense and formal
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Sonnet 29 - I think of thee!’
	The varied stanza form reflects the speaker’s animated and informal voice addressing an unspecific listener: He addresses the listener in informal  language: “ven yoo shoppers are wrap up quiet” His voice changes quickly from  dramatic monologue to dialogue representing the customer’s ‘nagging’ voices Modern references juxtapose the romantic nature of the poem: “her Sikh lover site” and “effing at my mum”	However, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s first-person  speaker conveys intense emotions in a dramatic monologue addressing her lover: The archaic language creates a formal tone: “Renew thy presence” The imagery is more traditionally romantic: my thoughts do twine and bud//About thee”
	Although the poem’s rhyme scheme is irregular, there are lines which rhyme: This adds a comedic quality to the romantic poem, such as in “vee share in di chutney [...] like vee rowing through Putney –”	Barrett Browning’s poem, on the other hand, follows a regular rhyme in a romantic sonnet:  The rhyme scheme is regular with two quatrains of ABBA and a sestet of CBC BCB
	Both poets explore intense romantic love; however, Nagra’s modern poem breaks traditions, while Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem follows a more traditional romantic style

'Singh Song!' and 'Follower'

Comparison in a nutshell:

This is an effective comparative choice to explore family relationships which comment on dependence and restrictive control in family relationships, through the perspectives of younger speakers. Both Daljit Nagra’s poem 'Singh Song!' and Seamus Heaney’s poem 'Follower' explore the challenges of living in the shadow of older family members. However, Nagra’s poem explores the solace found in independence, whereas Heaney’s poem depicts a relentlessly dependent relationship.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems explore family relationships through speakers who receive support from older figures in daily life
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Follower'
	The speaker in Nagra’s poem narrates anecdotes about working in the corner shop which his father owns: “I run just one ov my daddy’s shops” The poet uses a semantic field which refers the shop, presented through the indirect dialogue of the customers: “yor bananas are plantain,//dis dirty little floor need a little bit of mop”	Similarly, Heaney’s poem centres around a significant, yet typical memory of a son and his father working on a farm:  The semantic field of rural farm-life (“plough”, “furrow”, “sod”) shows vivid recollections of his simple childhood
	Nagra’s speaker implies his father has a strong work ethic and attempts to pass this on to him: He works him “from 9 O’clock to 9 O’clock“ and “he vunt me not to hav a break”	Similarly, Seamus Heaney’s speaker describes his father as hard-working and experienced:  Verbs help to describe him as an “expert”: “His eye//Narrowed and angled at the ground”  He is in control: “The horses strained at his clicking tongue”
	The speakers both explore the family relationship by showing ordinary moments  where older figures are role models to sons

Topic sentence	Both poems present speakers who express their emotions about the perceived restrictive control placed upon sons
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Follower'
	Nagra’s poem depicts the challenges the speaker experiences when working in his father’s business:  He emphasises the customer dissatisfaction with repetition of the customer’s dialogue, and listing: “di milk is out ov date//and di bread is alvays stale,	Here, too, Heaney’s speaker finds it challenging to behave like his father:   He uses verbs which imply struggling movements: the son “stumbles in his wake” and as a child “Fell sometimes on the polished sod” He implies this with hyperbole: “All I ever did was follow”
	Nagra’s poem conveys the speaker’s frustration with his father with hyperbole to emphasise his neglect of his duties and his failure to be like his father:  “in di worst Indian shop//on di whole Indian road –”	Heaney’s speaker presents similar frustration with his father’s control:  Heaney uses a caesura to create a volta which represents a change in the speaker’s tone: “always yapping. But today” He ends the poem explaining that his father is “Behind me, and will not go away”
	Both poems explore the conflicting emotions due to pressures within family relationships

 Differences:

Topic sentence	Nagra’s speaker finds solace in breaking free of tradition, whereas Heaney’s speaker is left frustrated in a relentlessly dependent relationship
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Follower'
	At the end of the poem, the speaker is emotionally and physically close to his wife:  The sensory image creates an intimate and soothing setting: “ven di precinct is concrete-cool//vee cum down whispering stairs”	Heaney’s poem presents the speaker’s father as close by him at the end of the poem, but this is frustrating: The present continuous verb in “It is my father who keeps stumbling” shows the continuing dependence in the relationship
	Dagra’s speaker rebels against his father: “but ven nobody in, I do di lock” He and his new wife challenge the older generation: “she effing at my mum” and “making fun at my daddy”	The poem’s speaker describes a relationship which puts pressure on a son:  The dependence of the father on his son is shown with the preposition in “Behind me”, which implies the father is now following his son
	Both poems discuss family love, however Nagra’s poem presents a son breaking away from tradition and forming a new bond within a romantic relationship, while Heaney’s poem shows a son devoted to being near his father, regardless of the frustration this brings

'Singh Song!' and 'Before You Were Mine'

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Daljit Nagra’s poem 'Singh Song!' and Carol Ann Duffy’s poem 'Before You Were Mine' present the perspectives of children acknowledging the changing nature of, and pressures within, family relationships. However, Nagra’s poem considers a father’s role in a young husband’s life, whereas Duffy’s poem considers a mother as an individual.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems present alternative perspectives of children reflecting on their role in the family relationship
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Before You Were Mine'
	Nagra’s informal  monologue presents the speaker’s reflections on his father: “I run just one ov my daddy’s shops//from 9 O’clock to 9 O’clock”	Similarly, Duffy’s first-person  speaker reflects on her mother in a personal and informal tone, remembering her mother as a younger woman with her “pals” She addresses her informally: “and whose small bites on your neck, sweetheart?”
	Nagra’s speaker acknowledges the lessons his father attempts to give: By narrating the customer dialogue and listing their complaints the poet implies the speaker’s acceptance that he is neglectful of his father’s advice and this brings dissatisfaction in the community	Similarly, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother as a mentor: “You'd teach me the steps on the way home” She describes her in vivid imagery, presenting her as a role model: she is “stamping stars” as she walks
	The poems both comment on the powerful influence of family relationships by depicting an emotive and personal anecdote

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poets present speakers who comment on dependence within family relationships
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Before You Were Mine'
	The speaker describes the restrictions he feels are placed on his life: His father exerts control over the son:  “and he vunt me not to hav a break”	Duffy’s speaker, too, explores dependence within family relationships:  The poet relates this idea with repeated possessive pronouns and repetition of the line: “Before you were mine.”
	The poet explores the speaker’s role in the family relationship as he and his new bride joke about the business and defy their parents’ rules: He implies he is letting his father down with the hyperbolic language in “di worst Indian shop/on di whole Indian road”	Duffy, too, considers what she implies is a selfish innocence to a child’s dependence in family relationships: She describes “The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell”
	The poets comment on the idea of dependence within relationships, showing complex dynamics within family relationships as they explore the pressures on both parents and children

Differences:

Topic sentence	While Nagra’s poem considers a controlling father’s role in a young husband’s life, Duffy’s poem considers a mother as an individual before the responsibilities of parenthood
Evidence and analysis	'Singh Song!'	'Before You Were Mine'
	Nagra’s speaker comments on the generational divide as he describes his father as strict and a subject of ridicule:   The speaker jokes about his wife “making fun at daddy”	However, Duffy’s speaker reflects on her mother’s imagined past before she had a child, using vivid imagery and direct address: “where you sparkle and waltz and laugh before you were mine.”
	Nagra comments on a father who restricts time with his young wife:  He describes his new bride as vibrant in rich imagery: she wears a “tartan sari” and he hears her “above my head high heel tap di ground”	Duffy, however, describes her mother as a younger woman, free of parental responsibilities: “The thought of me doesn’t occur”  She describes her mother’s actions with verbs  which imply she is liberated and vibrant: she would “dance”, “laugh” and “shriek”
	Both speakers reflect on their parents; however, Nagra reflects on a young and vibrant couple restricted by his father, whereas Duffy’s poem describes her mother as young and exciting in an imagined event from her past