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What Are At Least Two Poets Challenge And Enrich Our Understanding Of Identity?

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Analyse how at least two poets, challenge and enrich our understanding of identity. The poets within the Contemporary Asian Australian Poets Collection help us discover the process of identity by challenging us to become aware of subconscious efforts to assimilate into Western culture and the enrichment and challenges that come with embracing the hybrid nature of identity. The purpose of the collection is to give an authentic voice to Asian Australians so they can express their views on their community and disrupt prevailing assumptions of the Asian Australian experience. The challenge of balancing personal and cultural expectations is explored in the poem "Mother" by Vough Pham as it delves into the impact of second-generation immigration …show more content…

Ten delves into the intricate layers of cultural identity and personal history, using the extended metaphor of a 'gift' to symbolise her Western name, which portrays her reflection of subconscious assimilation into her Western identity. The sibilance of'sparkled and sang' and the verb choices in 'flashed in view', effectively convey the allure of a Western name overshadowing her Chinese heritage, challenging the static nature of identity. Therefore, Ten challenges our understanding of identity by exploring the notions that personal and cultural expectations contribute to the subconscious assimilation during youth, which, as we grow, we understand the disconnection it causes to other parts of our identity. Ten intricately reveals the complexity of balancing her cultural identities and gradual erasure of her Chinese heritage by using her Western name, adding depth to the exploration of identity. She has previously felt disconnected from her cultural identity because of …show more content…

The expectations of Pham’s mother are vividly explored through the symbolic motif of plucking grey hair, symbolising his mother aging and reflecting her expectations for Pham’s future. This emphasises the responsibility of taking on her burden and completing what she couldn’t. Therefore, each strand that is plucked is a symbol of Pham taking the responsibility to live out his mother's dreams that she couldn’t fulfil. Additionally, communities of second-generation immigrants can feel immense pressure to become successful in their lives because of the sacrifices their parents made for them, thus Pham romanticises the sacrifice that his mother had made for him. Pham’s mother desired to become a ‘literacy teacher’. This impacted Pham’s identity because he went on to become a literacy teacher. The extent of the expectations is shown through intertextuality by referencing the classic English poet Wordsworth in ‘I was teaching my student Wordsworth’. The use of intertextuality signifies the outcome of his mother encouraging his success in the ‘Western World’, by mastering her goals. This challenges our understanding how our career choices can be impacted by cultural expectations of hard work, which is dominant in Asian cultures, signifying the

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