Bred in South Auckland by Glenn Colqhoun I drive a car that is falling apart. There is a bog in the body. There is rust in the doors. Occasionally it does not have a warrant. Sometimes I sleep in large rooms full of people. I eat too much fried bread. I am late to meetings. I go to housie. My nose is flat. I say Raw-tore-loo-uh. Some people think I am a bloody Maori,

Bred in South Auckland by Glenn Colqhoun I have been to university. I have a student loan. I photocopy my tax returns. Most mornings I read the newspaper. I make lists of things I have to do and like to cross them off. I cut apples into quarters before I eat them, Then I cut the pips out. I put my name on things. I listen to talkback radio. I use EFTPOS. Some people think I am a typical pakeha.

Bred in South Auckland by Glenn Colqhoun Last week I drove into a red light, I did not slow down at a compulsory stop, I changed lanes on the motorway and did not use my indicator. When I was a boy I went to see Enter the Dragon, I took one lesson in kung fu. My parents made me do my homework. My brother gave me Chinese burns. I like beef and pork flavoured two minute noodles. I light incense when the house smells. Once I dug a garden. Some people think I am a blasted Asian.

Bred in South Auckland by Glenn Colqhoun When I was a boy I learned to swear in Samoan. I went to school in Mangere. I played rugby in bare feet, Sometimes I shop at the Otara markets. My family come from overseas. I used to work in a factory. Once I helped cook an umu. When it is summer I wear a lavalava. I drink pineapple juice. I like to eat corned beef. Some people think I must be a flaming coconut. I think I am the luckiest mongrel I know.

Questions on poetry. Answer the following questions as full sentences. “I am the luckiest mongrel I know.” What is a mongrel and why has the poet used it in the poem? What is this saying about the poet’s identity? What sort of view of identity does this poem have? Extra question: What sort of language does the poet use and why do you think this is? Give some examples.

Bred in South Auckland starter. How do we know this poem is a New Zealand poem? Find at least 5 examples in the poem.

Bred in South Auckland. The poet shows that there is more than one view of identity. People have lots of little things that make them who they are. Also, we can’t easily fit people in to cultural stereotypes. He is mocking that idea. He also shows South Auckland as a cultural melting pot of cultures. His language is simple, very ‘Kiwi’ and full of ‘everyday’ details. He also uses words that all New Zealanders would understand. Not all of these words are English e.g lava lava. These accumulate for full satirical effect.

Bred in South Auckland. What is the ‘tone’ of the poem? This means the feeling or mood created. How does the writer create this mood?

Bred in South Auckland main ideas. The poetic uses satire (mocking things that are wrong) to show us that we cannot always easily be put into boxes. Just because you do something once (e.g use an EFTPOS card, play housie or always do your homework) doesn’t mean you can be stereotyped in to a group. The poet mentions things he did ONCE. This is the satire. Nobody could ever fit in to just one box. We are all mixes of things, and should embrace our individuality instead of conforming to a racial or cultural stereotype. We know that because of the last line of the poem where he is happy to be a mix of things.

Stereotypes and satire. Stereotypes: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person. Satire: Wit, irony or sarcasm used to discredit something false. In groups of 2 or 3, draw a picture of the person depicted in the poem using details from all four stanzas.

Language (whether straightforward, rhyming, emotive, or heavy with metaphors and similes) helps to understand the author’s message. What sort of language does Glen Colquhoun use, and how does this compare to Amy Tan? Why might her use of language be different? The language is the poem is linked to New Zealand identity. Explain this link.

Identity poem. Use information gathered in class to write your own poem. In the form of ‘Bred in South Auckland’ you should write your own 4 stanza poem about things that make you a New Zealander. You could also be more specific and write a poem called ‘Bred in Palmerston North. You might choose to have a stanza on music, movies, cultural references, schools, language, accent. You may also choose to mention some of things we have watched in class.

Bred in South Auckland homework questions. Explain how you felt reading this poem. What did it makes you think about? Do you think it is a successful poem in terms of its ideas (theme), language, or structure? Do you think this poem makes us aware of stereotypes surrounding identity, or do you think that the poem negatively reinforces stereotypes? Give exact details from the text to support your answer.