In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is vital that you understand what it is about. This section includes:
- The poem in a nutshell
- A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section
- A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Raman Mundair’s intention and message
“Name Journeys” in a nutshell
“Name Journeys” is written by the poet Raman Mundair who was born in India and moved to England in 1970 aged five. Mundair’s poem explores individuals’ cultural heritage, focusing on the way language is a key aspect of identity.
“Name Journeys” breakdown
Lines 1–3
“Like Rama I have felt the wilderness
but I have not been blessed
with a companion as sweet as she,”
Translation
- The speaker compares themselves to a Hindu deity, Rama
- The speaker relates to Rama, saying they have both experienced being cast out or the feeling of Exile (the “wilderness”)
- However, the speaker suggests they, unlike Rama, are alone
Mundair’s intention
- The first lines begin with a comparison between the speaker’s life and the story of Rama
- This introduces the theme of isolation, as they feel exiled from their homeland into the “wilderness”
Lines 4–6
“Sita; loyal, pure and true of heart.
Like her, I have been chastened
through trial by fire. Sita and I,”
Translation
- The speaker’s life is explained through Hindu stories
- The speaker feels she shares similar life experiences with Sita, a Hindu deity
- The speaker refers to a “trial by fire”, referring to a Hindu myth whereby the sinful are punished and humbled (“chastened”) through a challenging experience, while the innocent are saved by the gods
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair conveys a strong bond between the speaker and their culture:
- They connect their own life experiences with Hindu myths
Lines 7–9
“spiritual sari-sisters entwined
in an infinite silk that would swathe
Draupadi’s blush. My name”
Translation
- These lines describe the close relationship the speaker feels they have with Sita
- Their intimate relationship (they are “entwined”) makes them “spiritual” sisters
- The speaker says this relationship will last forever (“infinite”)
- “Draupadi’s blush” refers to a Hindu myth:
- Draupadi is a goddess, worshipped for her courage but humiliated in her life
- Her name is connected to ideas of forgiveness
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair’s poem focuses on the speaker’s devotion to their religion
- Their life is described in relation to Hindu mythology
- This suggests that the speaker’s sense of identity is linked to their Indian and religious heritage
Lines 10–11
“a journey between rough and smooth,
an interlacing of banyan leaves with sugar”
Translation
- Here, the speaker begins to reflect on their name:
- They explain that, as a result of their name, their journey (perhaps this connotes to their life) has been “rough and smooth”, good and bad
- The speaker refers to “banyan leaves”:
- The banyan tree is said to be the resting place for the Hindu god Krishna
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair’s speaker suggests that it is their name, and thus their heritage, that creates the challenging experiences she has described
- Their life is “interlaced” and closely connected with Indian culture, yet this brings “rough” times as well
Lines 12–14
“cane. Woven tapestries of journeys;
travelling from South
to North, where the Punjabi in my mouth”
Translation
- These lines develop the idea that the speaker has been on many “journeys” in their life
- Perhaps the travels relate to migration from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere, or from India to Manchester
Mundair’s intention
- The speaker’s life is described as made up of many journeys
- The journeys are like tapestries, made up of many different “woven” threads:
- This may imply her life is made up of different cultures and different elements, that combine to make one piece of “art”
Lines 15–16
“became dislodged as milk teeth fell
and hit infertile English soil.”
Translation
- The speaker comments on their language, Punjabi, and how, as they travelled, they began to lose their mother tongue
- The speaker uses the metaphor of “milk teeth” (baby teeth) to symbolise both their first language and their innocence
- By describing “infertile” “soil”, the speaker implies it is difficult for things, such as one’s identity through language, to survive or grow in England
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair’s speaker reflects on the significance of language as part of an individual’s identity
- She suggests that England does not allow her language to survive by describing it as barren
Lines 17–20
“My mouth toiled to accommodate
the rough musicality of Mancunian vowels
and my name became a stumble
that filled English mouths”
Translation
- The speaker describes the difficulty of learning a new language:
- The word “toiled” connotes to hard labour
- The reference to “Mancunian vowels” alludes to struggles with pronunciation
- The speaker says their name was difficult for English people to pronounce as they stumbled as they spoke it
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair draws attention to language barriers between individuals
- She illustrates how individuals find it hard to communicate as a result of unfamiliar “vowels” and names
- Through others not being able to pronounce her name correctly, the speaker’s identity is eroded
- The speaker had to give priority to the new Mancunian accent
Lines 21–22
“with a discordant rhyme, an exotic
rhythm dulled, my voice a mystery”
Translation
- Here the speaker expresses their thoughts on the way their language and identity has been “dulled”
- The speaker implies a sense of imbalance as they describe how their name becomes a “discordant rhyme” when English people speak it
- They say that the “exotic rhythm” of her Punjabi name is lost when it is spoken in a Mancunian accent
- This makes their “voice”, their language, a “mystery”, hidden and unknown
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair conveys the challenges faced by migrants, specifically in relation to language
- She draws attention to the significance of an individual’s name and language:
- Mundair presents this as Integral to an individual’s sense of stability and identity
Lines 23–24
“in the Anglo echo chamber -
void of history and memory.”
Translation
- The poem ends with a critical conclusion
- The speaker describes an English “echo chamber”, an environment where individuals are surrounded by only one set of beliefs or opinions largely agreeable to the majority
- The reference to “history” and “memory” (which the speaker says is an empty hole or “void”) implies the English have no memory of history
Mundair’s intention
- Mundair’s poem suggests that minority voices are drowned out in England
- The poem’s ending implies the English fail to remember the reasons for migration and the effects of British colonisation