The Other Country

Carol Ann Duffy's "The Other Country"

• I think this collection of poems is about change, moving and trying to find a sense of belonging.
• The "other country" in this case is the representation of change, being the new country that is being moved to. It is not like one's home country, it is different and unfamiliar.
• As one finds their belonging and place, the "other country" slowly transforms into one's "own country".

"Originally"

• "Originally" is the first poem in the collection.

• The poem is about moving at a young age. At first it is unfamiliar, but soon, you adapt and learn the culture, norms and features of that area. Soon enough, you've changed so much you no longer belong to the original country you are from.
• This is shown especially in the last lines, "Now, Where do you come from?
• strangers ask. Originally? And I hesitate." which reflect how the main character no longer feels as if they are from where they originally came from, having now adapted so much to where they are.

• The poem is free verse, and separated into 3 stanzas of 8 lines each.
• The usage of free verse allows for a natural tone, yet the lack of rhyming showing how unnatural the process of shifting from one culture to another is.
• This is emphasized by the numerous enjambments that occur throughout the entire poem, almost in every line.
• Yet the stanzas imply a straightforward process, each stanza representing a stage of the transition.

• At first, the experience is described to be tragic, confusing and sorrowful. The new country is unfamiliar, and alien, and there is a longing for where you once were.
• The feeling of being stripped away from one's home is emphasized by the cries of the narrator's mother and brothers.

• However, the process of adaptation itself is explained in a visceral way, incorporating slugs and snakes, in order to create animalistic imagery.
• "Swallowing a slug" is used to describe the change in accent, and a tongue "shedding its skin like a snake" is used to show how old manners of speech are lost, as new ones replace it.
• Duffy uses this description to portray the change in one's identity as if it were an unnatural transformation, almost as if it weren't just a change in mannerisms but a loss of one's previous self, or the "shed skin".
• This loss is emphasized as the author hesitates when someone asks where they are from. Asking "Originally?", as if their original identity was now something lost to the past, now alien to them.

• This poem reflects the global issue of how old cultures are lost as people move to new countries. Globalism is one of the biggest perpetrators of this issue, as people become even more interconnected, and move from country to country, nuance and diversity is lost, more often than not replaced with a classical western worldview and culture.

"In Ms. Tilscher's Class"

• The title sets up the theme of education and learning. It also emphasizes the teacher Ms. Tilscher and her lessons in particular.
• I personally believe the central theme is about growing up, particularly the loss of innocence and childlike wonder that often occurs when kids enter adolescence.
• The speaker is one of the children in Ms. Tilscher's class, and the perspective similarly reflects that. Although the language isn't on level with that of a child, it replicates the thoughts of one, with playful metaphors and similes.

• In the first and second stanzas, an array of cheerful and mystical connotations are used to set up the atmosphere of the school as somewhere intriguing and inviting. For example "the laugh of a bell" and "chanted the scenery" are used to encapsulate the joy of learning and schooling.
• In the third stanza, multiple references of frogs and tadpoles emphasizes metamorphosis, and the change that is already beginning in some kids. Being "freed by a dunce" is aimed to showcase that they still retain their childish and immature nature.

• However, a more uncomfortable depiction is presented of the change that occurs after the protagonist learns about "how they were born". Words used to describe the situation, "feverish", "fractious" "tasted of electricity" and "untidy" evoke an awkward and unfamiliar sense.
• Ms. Tilscher's amusement "she smiled and turned away" yet refusal to answer the author's question is another indicator of the topic.
• The "thunderstorm" at the end I think represents a loss of innocence and a change in worldview.

• I think the global issue this poem is about is about how people grow up and change from child to teen. Although it is an amazing process that comes with many new experiences and memories, there is an unavoidable loss of the childlike innocence and carefreeness.

Theme of Identity

• Similar to "Originally", I believe "In Ms. Tilscher's Class" is meant to represent one's change of identity and worldview. Except it focuses on the change that comes with growing up rather than by moving somewhere else and adapting to a new environment.

• In "Originally", the change in identity is something unnatural, a slow shift from one's "original" self to something so different that one's old self becomes unrecognizable.
• It is described animalistically, like a gradual transformation, an unwilling, yet unavoidable change as one adapts to their new environment.
• Their old identity is lost and forgotten.

• "In Ms. Tilscher's Class" takes a different approach. It is like a "thunderstorm" that culminates and splits open the sky.
• It is described as unnatural, uncomfortable, yet sudden. However, as the change occurs, fear and awkwardness is replaced by excitement.
• The old self is not forgotten but willingly abandoned.
• This is reflected by the childlike enthusiasm now being replaced by impatience.

"The Way My Mother Speaks"

• The title of this poem makes me think of family and remembrance of the past.
• I believe the central theme is about leaving one's family, or losing a family member.
• The main feature that led me to this conclusion was the repetition of how the author's mother speaks and them being in "love with the way my mother speaks".
• The speaker of the poem is likely the author themselves, recounting their own life experiences.

• The description of the train travelling from skies "too blue" to a comparatively somber "cool grey" evokes the sense of parting from something beloved.
• Additionally the line "Nothing is silent. Nothing is not silent." creates the sense that the author is obsessing over the same thing, recounting memories over and over, with no real meaning behind it. I think this could be a way to cope with loss or parting, especially with someone as close as a mother.
• This theme is present from the first few lines of the first stanza, "I say her phrases to myself, in my head, or under the shallows of my breath". The connection of breath to the memories of the author's mother imply persistent thought and overthinking.
• Being "homesick" yet "free" enforces this idea. The author has recently moved away, and even though they are now independent and free, they long for what they had left behind.
• The simile comparing the author to a child at the end of summer by a pond emphasizes the bittersweet nature of the poem.

• The poem is organized into 3 uneven stanzas. There are some enjambments present, usually in order to give dialogue, which is written in italics, its own line. There is no rhyme scheme.

Link to "In Ms. Tilscher's Class"

• Both "The Way My Mother Speaks" and "In Ms. Tilscher's Class" are about entering new stages of one's life, and the uncertainty and fear that comes alongside the transformation.
• They focus on growing up, and leaving some part of oneself behind. For example, in "In Ms. Tilscher's Class", the author leaves behind their innocence and childlike curiosity in their fervor for what lies ahead.
• In "The Way My Mother Speaks", the author moves away from home, and despite the enthusiasm for freedom and new opportunities, they long for what their mother.

"In Your Mind"

• The speaker of this poem is likely Duffy herself, explain what its like to travel between the real and mental world.
• This is most evident due to the last line, "And then a desk. A newspaper. A window. English rain.", implying the suddenness and roughness of the transition from daydreaming to reality. The odd descriptions and rapid change of topic in the second stanza implied the lack of focus and constraints present in real life. The first line describes "the other country" as "anticipated or half-remembered?" implying the exciting yet fleeting nature of dreams. Lastly, describing the people as "You know people there. Their faces are photographs on the wrong side of your eyes." explains how the people in dreams are similar, if not the same as people you know in life, hence the comparison with photographs. Yet being on "the wrong side of your eyes" implies they are not being observed in life, but recreated in the mind.

• This poem reflects the global issue of dissatisfaction with one's work life. This is shown through the contrast between the description of the mental world, which is almost mystical, and the inclusion of positive statements such as "You love this job" while reminiscing about the author's past job at a hotel. The real world, is described as drab and dreary, with emphasis on its mundaneness, done through repeating the fact that it is raining, and stating everything in brief, emotionless sentences "And then a desk. A newspaper. A window. English rain.", almost as if it were a realization that the author is stuck in this world.

To what extent can poetry give us a window into the human spirit?

• Poetry, like all forms of art, is used to express oneself.
• It can give representations of humanity and being human more directly and more authentically than other forms of writing can.
• While it is likely impossible to truly and fully express the complexity of the human spirit, poetry, through small pieces, can give us a look into what it is like to be human.
• Poetry is also imbued with the unique identity of the author, allowing us to see the variation in people and their perceptions, lifestyles and beliefs.