Imagery and metaphors

Imagery and comparisons

Imagery is here defined as descriptive language that creates images in the reader's mind. In the poem “Mr and Mrs Xenophobia” by John Agard, imagery is created in connection to the “dusky GP” (p. 72, l. 33), the way Mr and Mrs Xenophobia speak, but also in relation to their house items. In the following passage, we can almost visualise them surrounded by teacups and china porcelain:

closer
to their teacups and sauces
than to foreigners
closer
to their china
than to China. (p. 72, ll. 12-17)

Notice that the above fragment also includes two comparisons, between foreigners and teacups and between china porcelain and Chinese people, aimed at showing just how little the two spouses thought of anyone who was not British.

Allusion

Two allusions are employed in the text. The first one is to the British Rule during the time of the British Empire – “Rule Britannia” (p. 72, l. 9) which is meant to show nostalgia for a glorious past. The second one, “coronation memorabilia” (p. 72, ll. 23-24), is a reference to souvenirs from the time of the coronation of someone in the British Royal family, most likely that of Queen Elizabeth II, give...