Nothings Changed :: Afrika Culture Cultural Poems Poetry Essays

Nothings Changed In ‘nothings changed’ Afrika describes the cultural difference between coloured people and whites. He represents this by using many different poetic techniques, he does this by emphasising that there is a cultural difference between them, he shows this by using a small village in Africa called District six. The Title of the poem suggests that when the whites destroyed District six and built a new village, for coloured and whites to mix, it did not work. He shows this with the feeling of being unwelcome, in the village that used to be his home when he was a child. In this poem the cultures are divided because of wealth and power. In stanza 1, Afrika clearly builds up a sense of his anger at the continuing injustice. As he walks through District six, once so familiar to him, he feels an outsider. He begins his poem with short monosyllabic words, ‘small round stones’, which adds a feeling of sharpness to the tone which suggests his anger. In addition, the onomatopoeia word ‘click’ emphasises his anger because of his sharp aggressive ‘ck’ sound. Secondly he begins to use harsh and aggressive words, for example the word ‘thrust’ is a very harsh and unwelcome word, and it sounds very violent and aggressive. In this poem Afrika uses the symbol of â€Å"weeds† as the weeds are unwelcome, the weeds and Afrika are similar because they are unwelcome as they are both outsiders. Afrika’s hatred for what he believes it continually discriminated, this it shown as a symbol with the ‘whites only inn’, Afrika uses a word ‘brash’ which shows his vulgar, garnish and ostentations into appearance. Also alliteration is used in ‘guards at the gatepost’ with its aggressive ‘g’ sound, to reveal how intimidating it feels. Secondly there is a sense of unwelcome ness this is symbolised with the imported trees, menus and luxury foods; additionally there is repetition of the word ‘glass’ this symbolises a barrier physical and psychological as he is not allowed in. In the poem ‘nothings changed’, Afrika compares the working-mans cafe to the up-market restaurant. He compares the imported trees, menu, to the cheap and basic cafe, this is shown by when he says ‘we know where we belong’, and this says that he knows that he can’t go into the up-market restaurant because of laws and feels that he doesn’t fit in there. Also in this stanza there is also a symbol ‘it’s in the bone’, this symbolises that his culture is inside like it is imbedded inside him, he also shows this by saying ‘wipe your fingers on your jeans’ it