Language and style

When analysing poems like “Mr and Mrs Xenophobia” by John Agard, it is also important to address the language and style used by the poet.

Playing with the language

The poet plays with language in the poem through irony, humour and sarcasm, as well as through allusions and metaphors. First of all, the names of the characters are clearly a playful choice designed to indicate their defining feature, xenophobia.

Secondly, metaphors like “nest egg” (p. 72, l. 7) for home or “land of hope and glory” (p. 73, l. 3) for England are ironical and meant to indicate the characters’ exaggerated patriotism.

Allusions to the British Empire (p. 72, l. 9) or the British Royal family (p. 72, ll. 23-24) are used to indicate the arrogance and superiority of the British while mimicking the way they speak creates humour: “O dearie me” (p. 72, l. 25),  “hunky-dory” (p. 73, l. 2).

Tense of the verbs

The poem starts off using past tense simple when describing the circumstance of Mr and Mrs Xenophobia and their character: “moved” (p. 72, l. 2), “aspired” (p. 72, l. 4), “retired” (p. 72, l. 6). 

The switch to present tense is marked by the adverb “now” (p. 72, l. 22). In the present, the spouses’ situation is in conflict to what they believe in (their contempt for strangers): “isn’t” (p. 72, l. 27), “is being ...