Writing Resources
The poem broken english by Rupi Kaur is a piece that was written in honor of the poet’s parents who originate from India but moved to Canada so that her and her siblings could have a better life Like the rest of her work the poem is written exclusively in lowercase in honor of the Gurmukhi script and her Punjabi descent where there is only one case and only periods are used This is important as it shows to what lengths Kaur values her culture and thus her identity even though she was raised with a different first language and immersed in Western culture Perhaps her free verse poetry avoids difficult metaphors in favor of clear plain language but it is with this accessibility that allowed a voice of diversity to prevail in an overwhelmingly white literary scene The collection remains relatable and crucially marketable to a wider audience while still retaining an element of culturally informed authenticity that forms much of Kaur s brand While conceivably an interlude in poetry that appeals to all audiences broken english brings a new narrative regarding the importance of preserving and loving one's identity to the widest possible demographic One of the main things that helps Kaur s audience understand identity is the warmth in the poet's tone When speaking to showing love and acceptance of her parents Kaur speaks to kissing her mother s tender cheek 5th stanza She does not reject her parents identity as immigrants She seeks to appreciate them even if she s part of the world that they can't possibly understand She understands that her parents wanted to give her what they believed would be the best life she could have and thus they wanted her to be in the world that mocks their accents
