Scribd
Upload
993 views1 page

Analysis of "The British" by Zephaniah

The document summarizes a poem titled "The British (serves 60 million)" by Benjamin Zephaniah. The poem uses a melting pot metaphor to represent how the British population was formed from many different ethnicities over time, including Picts, Celts, Romans, Normans, Chileans, Jamaicans, Indians, Pakistanis, and many others. It emphasizes that all ingredients are equally important and warns that unequal justice can damage the population. The accompanying questions ask about the genre of the poem, whether it uses synchronous or diachronic dimensions, when it was written, and how its message relates to recent UK political events regarding immigration and equality.

Uploaded by

Cinthya Arias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
993 views1 page

Analysis of "The British" by Zephaniah

The document summarizes a poem titled "The British (serves 60 million)" by Benjamin Zephaniah. The poem uses a melting pot metaphor to represent how the British population was formed from many different ethnicities over time, including Picts, Celts, Romans, Normans, Chileans, Jamaicans, Indians, Pakistanis, and many others. It emphasizes that all ingredients are equally important and warns that unequal justice can damage the population. The accompanying questions ask about the genre of the poem, whether it uses synchronous or diachronic dimensions, when it was written, and how its message relates to recent UK political events regarding immigration and equality.

Uploaded by

Cinthya Arias
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Cultural Activities and Analysis

CULTURA Y CIVILIZACIÓN INGLESAS

FAHCE-UNLP
Silvana N. Fernández

A. Read the poem “The British (serves 60 million)” by Benjamin Zephaniah and watch the recorded version
[Link]

The British (serves 60 million) by Zephaniah, Benjamin (2000) Wicked World! London: Puffing Books.

Take some Picts, Celts and Silures


And let them settle,
Then overrun them with Roman conquerors.

Remove the Romans after approximately 400 years


Add lots of Norman French to some
Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Vikings, then stir vigorously.

Mix some hot Chileans, cool Jamaicans, Dominicans,


Trinidadians and Bajans with some Ethiopians, Chinese,
Vietnamese and Sudanese.

Then take a blend of Somalians, Sri Lankans, Nigerians


And Pakistanis,
Combine with some Guyanese
And turn up the heat.
Sprinkle some fresh Indians, Malaysians, Bosnians,
Iraqis and Bangladeshis together with some
Afghans, Spanish, Turkish, Kurdish, Japanese
And Palestinians
Then add to the melting pot.

Leave the ingredients to simmer.

As they mix and blend allow their languages to flourish


Binding them together with English.

Allow time to be cool.

Add some unity, understanding, and respect for the future,


Serve with justice
And enjoy.

Note: All the ingredients are equally important. Treating one ingredient better than another will leave a bitter
unpleasant taste.

Warning: An unequal spread of justice will damage the people and cause pain. Give justice and equality to all.

ANSWER (in pairs):


1. What genre form does the poem have? Why?
2. Does the poet build the poem on a synchronous or diachronic dimension? Or both? Exemplify briefly.
3. When did Zephaniah write the poem?
4. How can we put together the poem and what the poem posits with what happened on 23 June 2016 and 31st
January 2020? What conclusions can we draw? (Justify your answer in about ten lines)

You might also like