(2 Paragraphs of) Skyrznecki Poems - Belonging

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Connections are essential to our understanding of ourselves and the world. To what extent is this true of your understanding of belonging? For a person to be truly satisfied with themselves and their place in the world, they need to have links to their heritage and the world around them. This is particularly true of Peter Skryznecki’s poem “Post Card” and “10 Mary Street”, where he highlights the importance of cultural ties on an individual’s life and how this in turn affects the relationships with his family. Similarly, Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story, “Unaccustomed Earth” explores how a sense of disconnection with family and heritage prevents the formation of meaningful relationships. These texts emphasise the importance of connections with the world around us on one’s understanding of themselves. Only through accepting one’s undeniable connection to their heritage An understanding of personal identity is tied to an undeniable connection to one’s heritage. In “Post Card,” Skryznecki questions his identity and feels guilty because of his alienation from his culture. The choice of the word “haunt” in “A post card sent by a friend haunts me” emphasises the guilt he feels as a part of the second generation over rejection of his background. This rejection is reinforced by the use of the indefinite article and neutral adjectives “Red buses on a bridge emerging from a corner – High-rise flats and something like a park borders” which highlights the ordinariness of the images. Although the persona feels no connection to Poland, the personification of Warsaw and the change in tone in “Warsaw, Old Town, I never knew you except in third person –” emphasises that his relationship to Poland comes vicariously through his parents. The slow rhythm achieved through the long drawn out sounds in “You survived in the minds of a dying generation half a world away” contrasts with the

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