Comparing Two Poems about Prejudice Essay - 579 Words

Comparing Two Poems about Prejudice The poems Telephone Conversation, by Wole Soyinka and You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, by U A Fanthorpe are both about prejudice. The former poem is to do with racial prejudice and the latter is to do with social prejudice. The two poems are different in many ways. The first poem is an application for accommodation and the second poem is a job interview. Soyinkas poem is a Dialogue within a monologue where as Fanthorpes poem is just a monologue. Also the tones are different the former poem has a shocking tone to start with but a mocking tone towards the end, while the other poem is extremely rude. The characters in the former poem are a white landlady and a black man and the†¦show more content†¦These examples show how rude, funny or serious the poets are trying to be. However rudeness can be shown in different ways like by using Caesuras as is shown in these examples from both either poems, And how- Much of a handicap is that to you? Or by using hyphens Foolishly, madam - By sitting down, friction has turned My bottom raven black - The poets build up tension by using run on lines, You should see The rest of me This is an example from the Telephone Conservation. Neither poem uses rhyme or rhythm; by the poets not using them the poems seem more natural and more like conversations. Humour and mockery is used throughout the poems in Soyinkas poem the man uses mockery to describe his skin colour Raven Black whereas in Fanthorpes poem ridicule is used to show the interviewers disgust for the interviewee, The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all. The interviewer is saying that the candidate is to ugly to have been allowed to have children, this is extremely rude yet because the candidate seems to have no voice he cant fight back. Repetition is used in the Telephone conversation but not in the other poem. The word red is repeated to show the mans anger Red booth. Red pillar box. 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