DALJIT NAGRA:This short poem, I guess is-- Not always sure where they come from but I think I was partly thinking about Sangatte, this detention centre in France where migrants about a decade ago were fleeing persecution.
DALJIT NAGRA:You know, innocent people trying to escape their countries and they were being locked up and treated like criminals and they're just locked up indefinitely and not fed properly. And as a protest, quite a few of these migrants were stitching up their eyelids and stitching up their lips as a kind of silent protest,
DALJIT NAGRA:so you know, "We're not being seen or heard." And there have been incidents of that again happening of late.
DALJIT NAGRA:And I guess I was partly thinking of Guantanamo bay, you know some innocent people being locked up indefinitely.
DALJIT NAGRA:So it's just called "X".
DALJIT NAGRA:"I knot my tongue I nail my lips I zip my lids
DALJIT NAGRA:and still u say I say u harm
DALJIT NAGRA:u hook my arms u hood my head u lose my legs and still u say I say u harm"
Poet Daljit Nagra performs and describes his short poem X.
He describes how it came about as the result of a refugee crisis several years ago, amid the controversy of Guantanamo Bay, illegal detention, and hunger strikes by refugees and migrants held by authorities in France and the UK.
This is from the series: Contains Strong Language
Teacher viewing recommended prior to use in the classroom
Teacher Notes
Pupils could compare how Daljit Nagra describes the poem before reading it, with the final work.
Do they think the poem effectively conveys his intentions? How does the use of language and verse affect the audience? Does hearing the poem performed aloud change it's meaning in comparison to reading it from the page?
Question how the length of the poem affects it - does it have more impact or less? How so?
Curriculum Notes
This clip will be relevant for teaching English Literature.
This topic appears in OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC KS4/GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland and SQA National 4/5 in Scotland.
More from the series: Contains Strong Language
Daljit Nagra performs In a White Town. video
Daljit Nagra performs his poem In a White Town, and gives insight into the background of the poem.
Daljit Nagra performs Darling and Me. video
Daljit Nagra performs his poem Darling and Me, and gives insight into the background of the poem
Daljit Nagra performs his poem Singh Song! video
Daljit Nagra performs his poem Singh Song!, and gives insight into the background of the poem.
Imtiaz Dharker performs Blessing. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem Blessing.
Imtiaz Dharker performs This Tide of Humber. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem This Tide of Humber.
Imtiaz Dharker performs The Trick. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem The Trick.
Imtiaz Dharker performs The Right Word. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem The Right Word.
Imtiaz Dharker performs poem Honour Killing. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem Honour Killing.
Imtiaz Dharker performs This Room. video
Imtiaz Dharker performs and describes her poem This Room.
