Exploring the poetry of

John Agard and Grace Nichols

Part Two:

Grace Nichols

As you discovered last week, husband and wife, John Agard and Grace Nichols, are

two very well-known and well-regarded poets who are both still living, writing and

performing poetry in Britain today.

Last week, you looked at a selection of poems by John Agard.

This week, the focus is on the poetry of his wife Grace Nichols.

Grace Nichols (b. 1950)

Grace Nichols was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and lived in a small village on the

country's coast until her family moved to the city when she was eight years old.

She took a Diploma in Communications from the University of Guyana, and

subsequently worked as a teacher (1967–70), as a journalist and in government

information services, before she immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1977. Much

of her poetry is characterised by Caribbean rhythms and culture, and influenced by

Guyanese and Amerindian folklore.

Her first collection of poetry, I is a Long-Memoried Woman, won the

1983 Commonwealth Poetry Prize. She has written several further books of poetry

and a novel for adults, Whole of a Morning Sky, 1986. Her books for children

include collections of short stories and poetry anthologies. Her religion is

Christianity after she was influenced by the UK's many religions and multi-cultural

society.

She lives in Lewes, East Sussex, with her partner, the Guyanese poet John Agard.

adapted from Wikipedia

THINK: What similarities

can you draw between the

early life of Grace Nichols

with that of her husband

John Agard?

For example, they are both

originally from Guyana

(information about this

Caribbean country is on

Slide 5).

Life in the Caribbean Life in Britain

• palm trees

• sandy unspoilt beaches

• hot weather

• blue skies

• busy roads

• crowded

• often grey and rainy

• lots of traffic

TASK 1: Read the information about Guyana on the next slide and think about your own

knowledge of the Caribbean – you could do some additional research. Complete the following

table describing some of the differences between life in the Caribbean and life in Britain.

Guyana Guyana (officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana) is a country on the northern mainland of South America. It is, however, often

considered part of the Caribbean region because of its strong cultural,

historical and political ties with other Anglo-Caribbean countries and

the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). With 215,000 square

kilometres (83,000 sq mi), Guyana is the third-smallest sovereign state

on mainland South America.

Originally inhabited by many indigenous groups, Guyana was settled

by the Dutch before coming under British control in the late 18th

century. It was governed as British Guiana, with a mostly plantation-

style economy until the 1950s. It gained independence in 1966, and

officially became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in

1970. The legacy of British rule is reflected in the country's political

administration and diverse population, which includes Indian, African,

Amerindian, and multiracial groups.

Guyana is the only South American nation in which English is the

official language. The majority of the population, however, speak

Guyanese Creole, an English-based creole language, as a first

language.

The population in 2018 was approx. 786,000.

The capital and largest city is Georgetown.

adapted from Wikipedia

Island Man – Grace Nichols

(for a Caribbean island man in London who still wakes

up to the sound of the sea)

Morning

and island man wakes up

to the sound of blue surf

in his head

the steady breaking and wombing

wild seabirds

and fisherman pulling out to sea

the sun surfacing defiantly

from the east

of his small emerald island

he always comes back groggily groggily

TASK 2: Read Island Man then summarise, in less than three sentences, what you think

the poem is about.

Comes back to sands

of a grey metallic soar

to surge of wheels

to dull North Circular roar

muffling muffling

his crumpled pillow waves

island man heaves himself

Another London day

You can hear Grace Nichols discuss and then read her poem here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bACVeAclpU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bACVeAclpU

TASK 3: How would you explain the mood of this poem? Write a sentence in response to each of these questions:

1) How does the man feel towards the island where he comes from?

2) How does he feel towards London?

Challenge: can you find any evidence (quotes) to support your points?

Extra challenge: can you explain the connection between place and identity?

You can find a study guide for the poem here: https://poemanalysis.com/grace-nichols/island-man/

https://poemanalysis.com/grace-nichols/island-man/

You are going to explore the way in which places are presented within Island Man through the

poet’s use of imagery and to understand how these images are used to create effects on a

reader. THINK: How do the images of the Caribbean compare to the images of London? (Use

the Imagery Jigsaw on Slide 9 to help you).

the sound of blue surf

the sun surfacing defiantly

to surge of wheels

to dull North Circular roar

comes back to sands

of a grey metallic soar

his crumpled pillow waves

Another London day

his small emerald island

Morning

and island man wakes up

to the sound of blue surf

in his head

the steady breaking and wombing

wild sea birds

and fishermen pushing out to sea

the sun surfacing defiantly

from the east

of his small emerald island

he always comes back groggily groggily

Comes back to sands

of a grey metallic soar

to surge of wheels

to dull North Circular roar

muffling muffling

his crumpled pillow waves

island man heaves himself

Another London day

The poet is describing two different places in the poem.

Name them below:

1. ______________ 2. ______________

What do you think are the main differences between these

two places that Nichols describes within the poem?

The poet describes the man’s home as ‘his small emerald

island.’

- What is an emerald?

- What does this suggest about the colour of the sea and

the appearance of the island?

- Emeralds are a precious jewel so what does this reveal

to a reader about the way the man views his island?

Nichols writes that the sun is ‘surfacing defiantly’. How

does this adverb reflect the lifestyle in the Caribbean do

you think?

The poet uses a strange verb to describe the sea’s movement: ‘wombing’.

- What is a womb?

- What develops in the womb?

- If the man thinks of the sea as a womb, what is he saying about the nature of it? What does the sea do for him/ how does

it make him feel?

- What words do you associate with the

colour grey? (Is it a positive colour?)

The ‘North Circular’ is a 25 mile road in

North London which gets very busy.

- Which poetic technique has the poet used

to describe the sound of it?

_________________________________

- What does the use of this technique

reveal about what the island man thinks of

the road?

The poet writes that the island man

‘heaves’ himself up in the mornings now.

What does that verb suggest to a reader

about how he feels when he gets up?

Imagery Jigsaw

‘Island Man’ is a poem that presents images of two different places; the Caribbean and London.

When the poet writes that the sun is ‘surfacing defiantly’, the adverb ‘defiantly’ suggests that the sun _________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ .

The use of this word indicates to the reader that the island man would rather be in the Caribbean because

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ .

TASK 4: What effect does the imagery in Island Man have on the reader? Use the following

scaffold to support your responses (and refer back to the previous slides to help you):

defiantly: characterized by defiance; boldly resistant or challenging: a defiant attitude.

From https://www.dictionary.com/

https://www.dictionary.com/

When the poet describes the island as ‘emerald’ it is an

effective image as the reader can understand that the

island is _______________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________.

TASK 4 (continued):

Choose a piece of imagery from the poem that is used to

describe London and explain why it is effective for a

reader: ________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________.

TASK 4 (continued):

STAR CHALLENGE QUESTION:

Why is the dual imagery so effective now we know what

the poem is about?

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________.

TASK 4 (continued):

Hurricanes are some of the most violent and destructive storms

on planet Earth. They can be many hundreds of miles wide and

have wind speeds of over two hundred miles per hour. The worst

have killed thousands of people and caused billions of pounds

worth of damage. Although common in the Caribbean, thankfully

they are very rare in Britain.

Another of Grace Nichols’ most famous

poems is Hurricane Hits England.

THINK: Watch the clip and think: “Why is it shocking to see a hurricane in England?” Where

do you normally expect to see hurricanes?

Refer back to TASK 1 (Slide 4) contrasting life in the Caribbean to life in Britain. What else

might you now add to your table?

Grace Nichols said about the 1987 hurricane:

“It seemed as though the voices of the old

gods were in the wind, within the Sussex wind.

And, for the first time, I felt close to the English

landscape in a way that I hadn't earlier. It was

as if the Caribbean had come to England.”A few hours before the Great Storm of 1987 broke, on 15

October 1987, British weather forecaster Michael Fish said

during a forecast: "Earlier on today, apparently, a woman rang

the BBC and said she heard there was a hurricane on the way.

Well, if you're watching, don't worry, there isn't!".

The storm was the worst to hit South East England for three

centuries, causing record damage and killing 19 people.

adapted from Wikipedia

Watch the infamous 1987 weather

forecast here:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxjZ-aFkjs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnxjZ-aFkjs

THINK: Read the poem Hurricane Hits England (Slide 18). What images does Nichols create

in your mind? Are these images positive or negative? Be prepared to justify your opinion.

You can listen to the poem here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc3gxG2OzN8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc3gxG2OzN8

The blinding illumination,

Even as you short-

Circuit us

Into further darkness?

What is the meaning of trees

Falling heavy as whales

Their crusted roots

Their cratered graves?

O why is my heart unchained?

Tropical Oya of the Weather,

I am aligning myself to you,

I am following the movement of your winds,

I am riding the mystery of your storm.

Ah, sweet mystery,

Come to break the frozen lake in me,

Shaking the foundations of the very trees within me,

Come to let me know

That the earth is the earth is the earth.

Grace Nichols

Hurricane Hits England – Grace Nichols

It took a hurricane, to bring her closer

To the landscape.

Half the night she lay awake,

The howling ship of the wind,

Its gathering rage,

Like some dark ancestral spectre.

Fearful and reassuring.

Talk to me Huracan

Talk to me Oya

Talk to me Shango

And Hattie,

My sweeping, back-home cousin.

Tell me why you visit

An English coast?

What is the meaning

Of old tongues

Reaping havoc

In new places?

For an in depth analysis, look here: https://poemanalysis.com/grace-nichols/hurricane-hits-england/

https://poemanalysis.com/grace-nichols/hurricane-hits-england/

TASK 5: How does Grace Nichols use imagery to convey meaning in Hurricane Hits

England? Compare it to the use of imagery in Island Man. Use the grid on the next slide

(Slide 19) to help you plan.

Point: In ‘Island Man’, Grace Nichols uses contrasting imagery to show the difference between life in the

Caribbean and life in London.

Evidence: For example, she describes the “blue surf” and the “wild seabirds” of the Caribbean, as opposed to the

“dull metallic roar” of London.

Explain: The imagery connected to the man’s hometown is very positive, whereas the London imagery is quite

negative, reflecting his emotions and perhaps suggesting that he feels out of place in London.

Point: Similarly, in ‘Hurricane Hits England’, Nichols also uses contrasting imagery to convey meaning.

Evidence: For instance, she says “_____________________________________________________________.”

Explain: __________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________.

Hurricane Hits England Island Man Similarities/differences

Meaning

What is it about?

Imagery

Are there any similes/metaphors,

personification?

Language

Any alliteration, assonance,

onomatopoeia? Noticeable words?

Effect

How does the poem make you feel?

Structure

What does it look like? Is there a rhyme

scheme? Is it free-verse? Why?

Use this grid to help you with your comparison of the two poems.

EXTENSION: Check out some of Grace Nichols’ other poems. Many can be found online

(usually with an audio file or video link to one of her poetry recitals).

Praise Song for My Mother Cat-Rap To My Coral Bones

Hurricane Hits England The Price We Pay for Sun Sugar Cane

Brian Sleeping Out Cosmic Disco

Lady Winter’s Rap For Forest Like a Beacon

Try: https://poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nichols

https://childrens.poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nichols/

https://www.poemhunter.com/grace-nichols/

https://poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nicholshttps://childrens.poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nichols/https://www.poemhunter.com/grace-nichols/