One meaning that logic represents is the idea of the speaker using a language that is unfamiliar, yet try to make it logical. The novel devil in a blue dress by walter mosley explores the life of an african american man, easy rawlins who spends the bulk of the novel impoverished and trying to make enough money to maintain his status as a property owner. The fragmentation provides an insight into her experiences and her world as it goes along. Nourbese philip reads discourse on the logic of language. Nourbese philips role as antiracist activist is most evident. Nourbese philip and problem of mother tongue halil ibrahim. The african female body as a form of resistance in a post.
We spent time with discourse on the logic of language, which is a sequence from her 1988 collection she tries her tongue. She tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks by m. Nourbese philip reading her poem discourse on the logic of language and respond. In titling her essay the absence of writing, or how i almost became a spy, philip signals her central concerns. Nourbese philip she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks. Language has always been a tool and a weapon, author marlene nourbese philip reminds you. Nourbese philip, particularly the book she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks, which came out from wesleyan last year originally published in 1989, with a new forward by evie shockley.
Nourbese philip discourse on the logic of language where the reader is presented with the same use of language as a form of control. This venn diagram structure also describes the relationship between ones mother and ones acquired languages. More to the point is the epigram in frontiers where philip dedicates the book to canada, in the effort of becoming a space of true belonging. Oct 16, 2015 the poem discourse on the logic of language by m. She tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks aims to live up to the title by interrogating language and how it came to be our mother tongue, reminding us english is a foreign anguish. In both cases there are human sounds exceeding vocabulary and in both cases i am honored to witness a brave and generous and necessary act. Brilliant book from an elder who keeps teaching, pushing the imagination, and always asking us to remember. Philip repeatedly mentions about english is my mother tongue, a mother tongue is not a foreign, lang lang lang language, languish anguish, a foreign anguish, she tries to tell us about how. Nourbese philip as a bridgebuilding hunter, 275 writer nourbese philip, having h er origin from caribbean where was a theatre of war for all of european powers philip, 2004, p. Marlene nourbese philip writes important poetry that knows its own importance. Nourbese philips poem discourse on the logic of language also explores the topic of language and translations, as she refers to. Discourse on the logic of language american literature in the world. Discourse on the logic of language by marlene nourbese philip talks about loneliness and abandonment through a visual representation of the language.
Frederick douglass a narrative of the life of frederick douglass shows readers the outcome of withholding language and communication from the slaves. Nourbese philip is a poet and lawyer who was born in tobago and now lives in toronto, canada. Nourbese philip s discourse on the logic of language is similarly concerned with the ways in which the enforcement of the universal grammar continues to privilege the position of the white, heterosexual male over all others guttman 54. Responses should connect the poem to any aspect of frederick douglasss a narrative of a life. Mar 21, 2020 discourse on the logic of language is meant to overwhelm you.
The four of us today are here to talk about talk about six sections from the long poem titled zong. Marlene nourbese philip born february 3, 1947, usually credited as m. The word tongue shows this, in particular the horrifying punishment of the tongue outlined in edict 2 from discourse on the logic of language. Its bold, graphic, and unapologetic polyphony of narratives wants you to question the implications of the english language, to remember that it is not apolitical. Discourse on the logic of language is meant to overwhelm you. She is also the author of two novels, harriets daughter and looking for livingstone. She is excellent at employing the page as a field of referents, to be shifted and reconsidered. As a matter of fact, in ovids metamorphoses, many female characters are submitted.
The poem discourse on the logic of language by marlene nourbese phillip critiques colonialism, racism, and sexism in order to express a marginalized subjectivity. Nourbese philip and problem of mother tongue halil ibrahim arpa abstract antilles has brought in resonant figures like fanon, cesaire and walcott for postcolonial studies. Crusoes tobago but now flies the northern caribbean flag in. Nourbese philip discourse on the logic of language.
Louise banks, a linguist hired by the government to learn the heptapods language, tells her unborn daughter what she has learned from the heptapods as a result of learning their language. The poem discourse on the logic of language has at least four discourses. Pdf breaking silence in marlene nourbese philips she tries. Nourbese philips discourse on the logic of language. Philip philips discourse on the logic of language is hinged on competing discourses. Nourbese philip reads discourse on the logic of language from she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks video. Historically, the english language has been used as a tool for the oppression of colonized peoples, frustrating selfrealization and identity formation within the. Nourbese philips discourse on the logic of language philips poem is a multifaceted comment on language and the power it holds in colonial and postcolonial contexts.
Pdf breaking silence in marlene nourbese philips she. The sections we will discuss are numbers 2, 3, 6, 11, 21, and 26, and these sections can be found respectively on pages 5, 6, 14, 20, 37, and 45 of the weslyan edition. Blackman dead and discourse on the logic of language, making a difference. Nourbese philip exactly emphasizes frederick douglasss circumstance of being a slave. Discourse on the discourse on the logic of language one. We spent time with discourse on the logic of language, which is a sequence from her 1988 collection she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks. Philips oftcited discourse on the logic of language reflects anguish at her estrangement from both her father tongue and mother tongue.
The awardwinning manuscript, she tries her tongue, is a booklength linguistic and feminist odyssey in which nourbese philip documents her triumphs over the univoiced, universeall, white forces of the english language, christianity and tradition. One of the most fascinating competitions in the poem, which is even more evident in the live performance of the. Nourbese philip reads discourse on the logic of language from she tries. Discuss what the poem says about language, familial connection, and how slavery destroys human connection. As nourbese philip points out in two sections, the question of language is the answer to power and the eponymous testimony stoops to mother tongue, freedom is only another illusion. Nourbese, discourse on the logic of language, in prismatic publics. Nourbese philip is a poet, essayist, novelist, playwright, and former lawyer who lives in toronto. Nourbese philip, from tobago, is one of the recent ones as an innovative poet with her postmodernist demotic style. Nourbese philip reads discourse on the logic of language from she tries her tongue duration. Oct 24, 2014 discourse on the logic of language by m. Discourse on the discourse on the logic of language. Discourse on the logic of language essay sample instructions.
Discourse on the logic of language marlene nourbese phillips poem discourse on the logic of language criticizes racism, colonialism, and sexism in order to express a wide subjectivity. Innovative canadian womens poetry and poetics, eds. Ted chiangs story of your life 606 words 123 help me. Nourbese philip, she tries her tongue, her silence.
Nourbese philip published discourse on the logic of language in her collection titled she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks 1989 to address a diasporic caribbean collective identity, demanding a recognition and rememberance of a shared history in a canadian landscape cd track 10. Oct 19, 2018 discourse on the logic of language by marlene nourbese philip talks about loneliness and abandonment through a visual representation of the language. Nourbese philips recital of discourse on the logic of language centers on just how powerful a tool language is, especially when applied to the topic of slavery in america. Nourbese philips discourse on the logic of language, click the link below and watch the poet read it herself. Through repeating phrases with minor alterations, philip brings us in on the ambivalent performance of language cultures across bodies. Discourse on the logic of language, universal grammar, and byeri in sisters of caliban. One of the most fascinating competitions in the poem, which is even more evident in the live performance of the poem, is that between the poetic and the mythic. This moment in the history of philips work raises both kinds of archival questions. Philips goal is to force an active reconstruction and questioning of the past, particularly of how the imperialist project succeeded in dominating african slaves through the logic of language. Philips usage of the caribbean language was an attempt to prove that her dialect can be used as a literary language and that it is as valuable as the standard language. Nourbese philips discourse on the logic of language is similarly concerned with the ways in which the enforcement of the universal grammar continues to privilege the position of the white, heterosexual male over all others guttman 54. The making of poetry begins in the body and ends in the body, says nourbese, quoting stanley burnshaw. Every slave caught speaking his native language shall be severely punished.
Discourse on the logic of language has different meanings, and it is up to the reader to derive the meanings from work. Nourbese philip by joseph houlihan october 12, 2016 she tries her tongue, her silence softly breaks by m. The above is a performance in durham, ontario by m nourbese philip of her poem, discourse on the logic of language. Nourbese philip performs at the words aloud 7 spoken word festival in durham, ontario, canada, november 2010. Discourse on the logic of language uk assignment club. She is the first anglophone woman, and the second canadian, to win the prize. Nourbese philips discourse on the logic of language and rita wongs. An odyssey of silence, of the plays coups and calypsos, and. Marlene nourbese philip born 3 february 1947, usually credited as m. Discourse on the logic of language essay, essay download. At the books core is a chant that should become famous for its music and bravery. Nourbese philips poem discourse on the logic of language, written in 1989, creates and employs narratives and mythologies in order to explore how language, gender, and cultural identity combine.
Nourbese philip english is my mother tongue a mother tongue is not a foreign lang lang lang. Philip s goal is to force an active reconstruction and questioning of the past, particularly of how the imperialist project succeeded in dominating african slaves through the logic of language. According to philip, it is not sufficient either to write in any dialect or in standard english the absence 1819. Nourbese philip, is a canadian poet, novelist, playwright, essayist and short story writer. Brilliant, lyrical and passionate, she tries her tongue is an extended jazz riff on the themes of language, racism, colonialism and exile. Nourbese philips poetical interruptions three years ago, in a course taught by tisa bryant called unnamable texts. Philip was born in the caribbean, at woodlands, moriah, trinidad and tobago. These terms, as nourbese philip shows us, must be qualified. Mar 04, 2010 discourse on the logic of language by m. Nourbese philip wesleyan university press, 2015 reprint 110 pages wesleyan amazon you know the more things change the. Marlene nourbese philips journey back to africa 164 a new language to express themselves and, in particular, they echo the predicament of the many black female slaves raped by their white masters. Nourbese philip on belonging, race, politics, and art. Alexandria johnson, tracie morris, and amber rose johnson listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at jacket2. Discourse on the logic of language presents multiple streams of language, intersecting and conflicting.
844 880 1268 34 107 1516 1039 283 1207 291 1437 165 1452 935 160 1271 1003 538 1313 324 1134 750 1072 806 714 678 1414 1407 45 829 253 811