No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO To know

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem Starter Task Read the poem carefully and underline any words you don’t understand.

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem Context This is a powerful and honest poem that is more than likely a strong reflection of Benjamin Zephaniah’s own personal struggles with racism and stereotyping, which he has famously fought against in his own life. He has fought against homophobia in his native country of Jamaica, and against racism in his current country of Britain. Much of his work has been in favour of equality and social justice, and it makes sense for a poem such as No Problem to have arisen from that drive.

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem I am not de problem But I bare de brunt Of silly playground taunts An racist stunts, I am not de problem I am a born academic But dey got me on de run Now I am branded athletic, I am not de problem If yu give I a chance I can teach yu of Timbuktu I can do more dance, I am not de problem I greet yu wid a smile Yu put me in a pigeon hole But I a versatile. These conditions may affect me As I get older, An I am positively sure I have no chips on me shoulders, Black is not de problem Mother country get it right, An just for de record, Sum of me best friends are white https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Zha. XDf. IGGz. A

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem I am not de problem But I bare de brunt Of silly playground taunts An racist stunts, I am not de problem I am a born academic But dey got me on de run Now I am branded athletic, I am not de problem If yu give I a chance I can teach yu of Timbuktu I can do more dance, I am not de problem I greet yu wid a smile Yu put me in a pigeon hole But I a versatile. These conditions may affect me As I get older, An I am positively sure I have no chips on me shoulders, Black is not de problem Mother country get it right, An just for de record, Sum of me best friends are white Use of Voice • The most striking thing about Zephaniah’s work is his use of voice, which he gets into the poem through intentionally spelling the words phonetically, rather than in a strictly “correct” way. • The spelling of each word emphasizes an accent typical of the African continent, which reflects the message of the poem. • Importantly, none of the changes in spelling stop the piece from conveying its meaning properly, but still add a new dimension to the poem. • The first word in the poem is “I, ” and it is followed by words that have an accent foreign to the audience • Right away, the reader is informed that this is someone else’s story, and is told, in that one line, who that someone is, and why they should care about what they have to say — and it’s all in the voice.

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem I am not de problem But I bare de brunt Of silly playground taunts An racist stunts, I am not de problem I am a born academic But dey got me on de run Now I am branded athletic, I am not de problem If yu give I a chance I can teach yu of Timbuktu I can do more dance, I am not de problem I greet yu wid a smile Yu put me in a pigeon hole But I a versatile. These conditions may affect me As I get older, An I am positively sure I have no chips on me shoulders, Black is not de problem Mother country get it right, An just for de record, Sum of me best friends are white Language & Imagery • Dialect used throughout • Words spelt phonetically Ø ‘I’ tells the audience immediately whose story this is and why we should care Form & Structure • 2 stanzas • A semi-regular rhyme scheme Ø Reflects the laid-back attitude of his African descent but also the regimented and hierarchical society he now lives in • Short lines Ø Ensure that you feel the impact of each line/idea

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem I am not de problem But I bare de brunt Of silly playground taunts An racist stunts, I am not de problem I am a born academic But dey got me on de run Now I am branded athletic, I am not de problem If yu give I a chance I can teach yu of Timbuktu I can do more dance, I am not de problem I greet yu wid a smile Yu put me in a pigeon hole But I a versatile. The poet starts by introducing himself as a victim – effective and emotional These conditions may affect me As I get older, An I am positively sure I have no chips on me shoulders, Black is not de problem Mother country get it right, An just for de record, Sum of me best friends are white Emotive language – refers to children & victimisation • We instantly feel sorry for him and are on his side Repetition Each time this line is repeated, it introduces a different example of the actual problem Theme of Stereotypes Refers to the stereotypes of black people: 1. That they cannot be academic 2. That they are athletic 3. They are good dancers He is saying that he is a complex individual and that he could teach you things, but all this is overshadowed by the stereotypes people have of him

No Problem by Benjamin Zephaniah LO: To know the language, structure and form of the poem I am not de problem But I bare de brunt Of silly playground taunts An racist stunts, I am not de problem I am a born academic But dey got me on de run Now I am branded athletic, I am not de problem If yu give I a chance I can teach yu of Timbuktu I can do more dance, I am not de problem I greet yu wid a smile Yu put me in a pigeon hole But I a versatile. The second stanza is about putting right and completing the picture that those who he speaks of in the first verse get wrong. These conditions may affect me As I get older, An I am positively sure I have no chips on me shoulders, Black is not de problem Mother country get it right, An just for de record, Sum of me best friends are white Compares the effect of racism to age-related diseases • It is as though the opinions and scorn from others is literally debilitating Despite all this prejudice, he remains positive and accepting of the world he is in. He is not bitter and he appreciates the good and the bad. Theme of Pride He is proud of his background and his accent/dialect Mocking – what white people say in defence of themselves to prove they are not racist