Pot (Shamshad Khan)

This section provides analysis of the poem Pot by Shamshad Khan. Shamshad Khan’s Pot is a reflective poem that explores themes of identity, diaspora, and cultural heritage through the extended metaphor of a pot. The speaker addresses the pot directly, questioning its origins and the journey it has undertaken, mirroring the speaker’s own experience as someone from a diasporic background. The poem delves into issues of colonialism, displacement, and belonging, as the speaker tries to uncover the story behind the pot’s journey to England. You can read the poem below followed by detailed analysis.

Pot by Shamshad Khan

so big — they said you shouldn’t really be moved

so fragile you might break

you could be from anywhere pot

styles have travelled just like terracotta
you could almost be an english pot

but I know you’re not.

I know half of the story pot
of where you come from
of how you got here

but I need you to tell me the rest pot

tell me

did they say you were bought pot
a looters’ deal done
the whole lot
sold to the gentleman in the grey hat

or
did they say you were lost pot
finders are keepers you know pot

or
did they say they didn’t notice you pot
must have slipped onto the white sailing yacht

bound for england.

Someone
somewhere

will have missed you pot
gone out looking for you pot
because
someone
somewhere
made you
finger nails
pressed
snake patterned you pot
washed you pot
used you pot
loved you pot

if I could shatter this glass
I would take you back myself pot.

you think they wouldn’t recognise you pot

say diaspora
you left now
you’re not really one of us.

pot I’ve been back to where my family’s from
they were happy
to see me
laughed a lot
said I was more asian than the asian’s pot
I was pot

imagine.
the hot sun on your back

feel flies settle on your skin
warm grain poured inside

empty pot
growl if you hear me

pot?

pot?

Analysis of Pot byShamshad Khan

Themes:

Diaspora and Identity: The poem examines the complex identity of those in the diaspora, symbolised through the pot. The speaker reflects on how, like the pot, they are from one place but have been transported to another. The poem captures the tension between feeling connected to one’s roots and yet being perceived as different upon returning. The pot represents the fragmented identity of someone who has been displaced, but who longs for connection with their origins.

Key Quotations:

"you could almost be an english pot / but I know you’re not."

"say diaspora / you left now / you’re not really one of us."

Cultural Heritage and Belonging: The pot becomes a symbol of cultural heritage and the history it carries. The speaker imagines the pot’s past and the people who created, used, and loved it. The pot represents a tangible link to a place and culture, and the speaker longs to reunite it with its origins. This reflects the speaker’s own search for belonging and connection with their cultural roots.

Key Quotations:

"someone / somewhere / made you / finger nails / pressed / snake patterned you."

"I would take you back myself pot."

Colonialism and Looting: The poem hints at the darker aspects of history, such as colonial looting and the removal of cultural artefacts from their homelands. The speaker questions whether the pot was stolen or taken by force, drawing parallels with the colonial history of many artefacts that were transported to England. This reflects broader themes of exploitation and the loss of cultural property.

Key Quotations:

"a looters’ deal done / the whole lot / sold to the gentleman in the grey hat."

"must have slipped onto the white sailing yacht / bound for england."

Displacement and Loss: The poem conveys a sense of displacement, both for the pot and for the speaker. The pot’s journey to England represents the broader experience of being taken from one’s homeland and placed in a foreign environment. The speaker reflects on how the pot and by extension, those in the diaspora; may be viewed as outsiders in both places, no longer fully belonging to either culture.

Key Quotations:

"someone / somewhere / will have missed you pot."

"growl if you hear me / pot?"

Tone and Mood:

Tone: The tone of the poem is contemplative and questioning. The speaker reflects deeply on the pot’s history and what it represents, addressing the pot directly with a sense of curiosity and empathy.

Mood: The mood is one of melancholy and longing, as the speaker expresses a desire to reconnect with the pot’s; and by extension, their own cultural heritage. There is also a sense of frustration and powerlessness at the pot’s displacement, and by the end, a tone of sadness as the speaker waits in vain for the pot to respond.

Structure and Form:

Free Verse: The poem is written in free verse, which reflects the fluidity of the speaker’s thoughts and the lack of structure in the pot’s journey. The absence of a regular rhyme scheme or metre mirrors the fragmented nature of both the pot’s and the speaker’s identity.

Direct Address: The poem uses the technique of direct address, as the speaker talks to the pot throughout. This creates an intimate, conversational tone and makes the pot feel like a living entity, symbolising the speaker’s deep emotional connection to their cultural heritage.

Enjambment: The use of enjambment; where one line flows into the next without punctuation, creates a sense of continuity and movement, mirroring the journey of the pot and the speaker’s stream of consciousness.

Poetic Devices and Techniques:

Extended Metaphor: The entire poem is built around the extended metaphor of the pot, which represents the speaker’s cultural heritage and experience of displacement. The pot’s journey to England mirrors the speaker’s own journey as part of the diaspora, and the pot’s fragility symbolises the delicate nature of identity and belonging.

Personification: The pot is personified throughout the poem, as the speaker addresses it directly and imagines it having thoughts and feelings. This personification emphasises the emotional significance of the pot to the speaker, and suggests that the pot, like the speaker, has its own history and experiences.

Imagery: The poem uses vivid imagery to evoke the pot’s journey and its cultural significance. The description of how the pot was made—“finger nails / pressed / snake patterned you” creates a tactile sense of its creation, connecting it to the people and culture from which it came.

Repetition: The repetition of the word “pot” throughout the poem reinforces the central focus on the pot as a symbol of cultural heritage. This repetition also conveys the speaker’s longing for answers and connection, as they repeatedly call out to the pot for a response.

Context:

Shamshad Khan and Diaspora Experience: Shamshad Khan is a British-Asian poet whose work often explores themes of identity, migration, and the experience of the South Asian diaspora. In Pot, Khan draws on her own experience of being part of the diaspora, using the pot as a symbol for the cultural artefacts and people, who have been displaced from their homelands and placed in foreign contexts.

Postcolonial Themes: The poem reflects postcolonial themes, particularly the history of colonial looting and the displacement of cultural objects. Many artefacts from colonised countries were taken to Britain during the colonial period, and Pot questions the ethics of this removal and the impact it has on cultural heritage. The speaker’s longing to return the pot to its origins reflects the broader postcolonial desire to reclaim cultural identity and history.

Cultural Identity and Artefacts: The poem can also be read as a commentary on the importance of cultural artefacts in maintaining a sense of identity. The pot symbolises the way in which cultural objects carry the history and identity of the people who made and used them, and the speaker’s desire to return the pot to its homeland reflects the importance of reconnecting with one’s cultural roots.

Key Messages:

The poem explores the fragility of identity in the context of migration and displacement, using the pot as a metaphor for the speaker’s cultural heritage.

It addresses the theme of diaspora, reflecting on the tension between belonging to one culture and living in another.

The poem questions the ethics of colonial looting, suggesting that cultural artefacts and by extension, people, who have been displaced should be reunited with their origins.

It reflects on the importance of cultural heritage, showing how objects like the pot carry the weight of history and identity.

Shamshad Khan’s Pot is a powerful exploration of identity, displacement, and cultural heritage. Through the metaphor of the pot, Khan reflects on the experience of living in the diaspora, the loss of cultural artefacts through colonialism, and the longing to reconnect with one’s roots. The poem’s use of direct address, vivid imagery, and personification creates a sense of intimacy and emotional depth, as the speaker grapples with questions of identity and belonging in a world shaped by migration and displacement.

You can find analysis of all the AQA Worlds and Lives Anthology Poems here.