Exploring Identities. Challenging Dichotomies in Chosen Poems from Patience Agbabi’s "Bloodshot Monochrome" (2008)

Book excerpt: Seminar paper from the year 2024 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,7, University of Göttingen, language: English, abstract: In this paper, I will show how Agbabi’s poetry challenges traditional dichotomies, such as black/white, male/female, and traditional/contemporary by blurring the lines between them and emphasising the interconnectedness of not only the opposing ends, but also of the different continuums. To pursue this, in the following chapter I will establish a theoretical framework on intersectionality and Black feminism, that helps to conceptualise the interconnectedness of the aspects. Subsequently, chapter 3 contains the main analysis. At the beginning of that chapter, I will first give a few more relevant information on the author and then account for how I came to the specific binaries mentioned before. Based on this, the close readings will then follow in sub-chapters structured after the three main categories. Finally, I will draw a conclusion that puts the pieces back together. ‘Not everything is black and white.’ This proverb encapsulates the essence of Patience Agbabi’s poetry, particularly evident in her collection Bloodshot Monochrome. Agbabi is a British poet, performer, and writer that has recently gained more attention. Her approach to poetry is innovative and dynamic, often challenging limits of traditional forms and tackling sensitive topics ranging from racial issues to gender norms. Especially interesting is how many of these issues can be put into binary categories that Agbabi often addresses implicitly, occasionally even explicitly. Not only does she make use of such dichotomies, but she also disrupts conventional societal perceptions and encourages her reader to question them. In her works, she often brings up not only one category, race for instance, but several at the same time, covering a vast range of matters. By that, she illuminates the interconnectedness of them, showing how someone’s race should not and cannot be regarded isolated from gender or sexuality or other aspects that are part of identity.