Search for My Tongue by Sujata
Bhatt
Introduction of the Poem
Search for My Tongue is
a powerful poem that explores the loss and recovery of one’s mother tongue when
living in a foreign country. The poet expresses her fear that her native
language may disappear, but later realizes that it remains alive within her.
Summary
The poem describes the
poet’s internal conflict of losing her mother tongue (Gujarati) due to the
dominance of a foreign language (English). She compares language loss to losing
one’s tongue. Initially, she fears forgetting her native language, but later
she realizes that it is deeply rooted within her mind and continues to grow
like a plant, even without conscious use.
Stanza-wise Summary
Stanza 1:
The poet asks what happens if you forget your mother tongue. She suggests that
losing a language is like losing a part of your identity.
Stanza 2:
She explains that if you use a foreign language too much, your mother tongue
might seem to disappear or become weak.
Stanza 3 (Gujarati
lines):
The poet switches to Gujarati to show that her mother tongue is still alive.
Even if suppressed, it continues to exist within her.
Final Stanza:
She uses the metaphor of a plant growing in the dark to show that her native
language grows back naturally and cannot be destroyed.
Line-by-Line
Explanation
“You ask me what I
mean…”
The poet introduces the idea of losing one’s mother tongue.
“If you had two
tongues…”
She imagines having two languages and struggling to keep both.
“Your mother tongue
would rot…”
The poet fears that neglecting her native language will destroy it.
Gujarati lines:
These lines symbolize that her mother tongue is still alive within her, even if
hidden.
“It grows back…”
The poet realizes that her native language cannot truly disappear.
Themes
1. Language and
Identity
Language is closely
tied to personal and cultural identity.
2. Cultural Conflict
The poet struggles
between her native culture and the foreign culture.
3. Loss and Recovery
Even if a language is
forgotten, it can return naturally.
4. Power of Mother
Tongue
The native language is
deeply rooted and cannot be easily erased.
Literary
Devices
Metaphor:
“Tongue” represents language and identity.
Imagery:
“Rotting tongue” and “growing plant” create strong visual images.
Symbolism:
The plant symbolizes the rebirth of the mother tongue.
Code-switching:
Use of Gujarati highlights cultural identity.
Repetition:
Emphasizes the importance of language.
Central Idea
The poem conveys that one’s
mother tongue is an essential part of identity and cannot be permanently lost,
even if overshadowed by a foreign language.
Critical Appreciation
The poem is deeply
personal and reflects the modern experience of migration. Sujata Bhatt uses
simple language yet powerful imagery to express a complex emotional struggle.
The use of Gujarati lines makes the poem authentic and impactful. The poem
successfully conveys that language is not just a means of communication but a
core part of one’s self.
Critics’ Views
1. View: Language as Identity (Postcolonial
Perspective)
Many postcolonial
critics believe that the poem reflects the struggle of people living in former
colonies where English dominates native languages. According to them, Sujata
Bhatt shows how language is deeply tied to identity and cultural roots. Losing
one’s mother tongue is like losing one’s self. However, the poem also gives
hope that native identity survives despite foreign influence.
Key
Idea: Language = Identity; cannot be erased.
2. View: The “Mother Tongue” as a Living
Organism
Some literary critics
focus on the natural imagery in the poem. They argue that the poet presents
language as something alive—like a plant that grows in the dark. Even when
ignored, it continues to exist and regenerate.
These
critics say the metaphor shows that:
Language is organic and
powerful
It cannot be
permanently destroyed
3. View: Bilingual Conflict and Psychological
Struggle
Modern critics
highlight the mental conflict of bilingual individuals. According to them,
Sujata Bhatt expresses the confusion and tension of thinking in two languages.
They argue:
The “two tongues”
represent dual identity
The fear of forgetting
the mother tongue is a psychological anxiety
Key
Idea: The poem reflects inner struggle, not just linguistic change.
4. View: Use of Code-Switching (Gujarati
Lines)
Many scholars
appreciate the use of Gujarati in the poem. They say this technique
(code-switching) is powerful because:
It breaks the dominance
of English
It forces readers to
experience linguistic difference
It proves that the
mother tongue is still alive
Critics
see this as a literary resistance against linguistic domination.
5. Feminist View
Some feminist critics
interpret the poem as a reflection of a woman’s struggle to preserve her voice
and identity in a male-dominated or colonial society.
They argue:
The “tongue” also
symbolizes voice and expression
Losing language means
losing the ability to speak for oneself
Key
Idea: Language = Power and Voice.
6. View: Cultural Hybridity (Mixed Identity)
Critics influenced by
modern cultural theory say the poem reflects hybrid identity—a mix of two
cultures.
They argue that Sujata
Bhatt is not rejecting English but showing how both languages coexist within
her.
Key
Idea: Identity is not pure; it is mixed and evolving.
7. General Critical Appreciation
Most critics agree
that:
The poem is simple but
deeply meaningful
It reflects a universal
experience of migrants
The imagery and
symbolism are powerful and memorable
They praise Sujata
Bhatt for turning a personal experience into a universal theme of identity and
belonging.
Conclusion of Critics’ Views
Different critics
interpret the poem in various ways—postcolonial, psychological, feminist, and
cultural—but all agree on one point:
The
mother tongue is an inseparable and powerful part of human identity that
survives even under pressure.
Difficult
Words and Meanings
Mother tongue
→ One’s native language; the language learned in childhood at home.
Rot / Rotten
→ To decay, decompose, or spoil over time.
Spit out
→ To force something out of the mouth; here it suggests rejecting a language.
Grow back
→ To develop again after being lost or removed.
Bud (like a plant bud)
→ A small growth on a plant that can develop into a leaf or flower; symbol of
new life.
Shoot (plant shoot)
→ A new growth from a plant; indicates regeneration.
Stump
→ The remaining part after something is cut; here it refers to the “cut” or
lost tongue.
Blossom
→ To flower; to develop fully or beautifully.
Faint
→ Weak, unclear, barely noticeable.
Echo
→ A repeated sound; here it suggests lingering memory of a language.
Foreign tongue
→ A language that is not one’s native language.
Take root
→ To become established or deeply fixed (like a plant in soil).
Imprint
→ A lasting mark or effect.
Split tongue
→ Symbolic of being divided between two languages or identities.
Identity
→ A person’s sense of self, shaped by culture and language.
LONG
ANSWER QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the theme of language and identity in the poem.
The poem deals with the deep connection between language and
identity. Bhatt presents language not just as a communication tool but as
something rooted in one’s being. The “mother tongue” represents cultural
heritage, memory, and personal identity, while the “foreign tongue” stands for
imposed or adopted identity.
The poet creates a tension between the two languages. She
imagines a situation where one language replaces another, suggesting that
learning a foreign language might suppress the native one. However, she
ultimately rejects this fear. Through organic imagery like “rot,” “shoot,” and
“blossom,” she shows that the mother tongue cannot be permanently erased. It
grows back naturally, just like a plant.
The use of Gujarati lines reinforces this idea. Even if the
reader cannot understand them, their presence proves the survival of the native
language. Thus, the poem concludes that identity rooted in one’s mother tongue
remains intact despite external influences.
2. Explain the significance of the title “Search for My
Tongue.”
The title reflects both a literal and symbolic search.
Literally, it refers to language—the tongue used for speaking. Symbolically, it
suggests a search for identity, belonging, and cultural roots.
The word “search” implies confusion or temporary loss. The
poet feels disconnected from her mother tongue due to exposure to another
language. However, the poem reveals that this loss is not permanent. The mother
tongue re-emerges naturally.
The title also suggests inner conflict. The poet is not just
searching for language but for her authentic self. By the end, the “search”
becomes unnecessary because the language returns on its own, showing that
identity is not easily erased.
3. Analyze the imagery used in the poem.
The most striking imagery in the poem is organic and
natural. Bhatt compares language to a living organism or plant. Words like
“rot,” “stump,” “shoot,” “bud,” and “blossom” create a cycle of decay and
regeneration.
This imagery serves two purposes. First, it makes the
abstract concept of language loss more concrete. Second, it emphasizes that
language is alive and resilient. Even if suppressed, it grows back.
The metaphor of the tongue as a physical object that can rot
and regrow is powerful. It shocks the reader and makes the fear of language
loss vivid. At the same time, the regrowth imagery reassures that cultural
identity cannot be permanently destroyed.
4. Discuss the conflict between the mother tongue and the
foreign tongue.
The poem presents an internal conflict between two
languages. The foreign tongue represents dominance, modernity, and possibly
colonial influence, while the mother tongue represents roots and authenticity.
At first, the poet suggests that having two languages might
lead to the death of one. This reflects a common fear among bilingual
individuals. However, the poem gradually shifts perspective.
The mother tongue resists disappearance. It returns
stronger, growing and blooming inside the speaker. This suggests that the
conflict is not equal. The native language has a deeper psychological hold.
The resolution of the conflict is clear: the mother tongue survives.
The foreign language may dominate externally, but internally, identity remains
tied to the native language.
MEDIUM
ANSWER QUESTIONS
5. Why does the poet use plant imagery?
The poet uses plant imagery to show that language is a
living, growing entity. Just like a plant, it may appear to die but can
regenerate from its roots. This reinforces the idea that the mother tongue is
deeply rooted and cannot be permanently lost.
6. What is the significance of the Gujarati lines in the
poem?
The Gujarati lines serve as direct evidence of the survival
of the mother tongue. Even if readers do not understand them, their presence
proves that the language is alive. It also creates a sense of authenticity and
cultural identity.
7. How does the poem reflect bilingual experience?
The poem captures the confusion and tension of being
bilingual. The speaker feels divided between two languages but ultimately
realizes that both can coexist, with the mother tongue remaining dominant at a
deeper level.
8. What tone does the poem convey?
The tone shifts from anxiety to reassurance. Initially,
there is fear of losing the mother tongue, but by the end, the tone becomes
confident and affirming, showing the resilience of language.
9. Explain the metaphor of the “rotten tongue.”
SHORT
ANSWER QUESTIONS
10. What is a “mother tongue”?
It is one’s native language learned in childhood.
11. What does the “foreign tongue” represent?
An acquired or dominant external language.
12. What happens to the mother tongue in the poem?
It appears to decay but eventually grows back and
flourishes.
13. What does “bud” symbolize?
New growth and revival of language.
14. Why is the poem partly written in Gujarati?
To demonstrate the persistence of the native language.
15. What is the central message of the poem?
The mother tongue cannot be permanently lost; it is deeply
rooted in identity.
16. What literary device is used in comparing language to a
plant?
Extended metaphor.
17. What does “search” imply in the title?
A feeling of temporary loss or confusion about identity.
