Language

The language in the poem “The British (serves 60 million)” by Benjamin Zephaniah is neutral. The poet uses everyday words that are easy to understand by everyone to get the message across.

One of the most distinctive features of the language used in the poem is its vocabulary. The poem uses terms that are related to cooking to describe the formation of British society. For example, we have phrases such as “stir vigorously” (l. 6), “Sprinkle” (l. 14), and “simmer” (l. 19). Even more, the elements that form British society are repeatedly referred to as “ingredients” (l. 19). The choice of words is unexpected and surprising, capt...