In Wales, Wanting to be Italian (Imtiaz Dharker)

In Wales, Wanting to be Italian (Imtiaz Dharker)

This section provides analysis for the poem In Wales, Wanting to be Italian by Imtiaz Dharker. Imtiaz Dharker’s poem In Wales, Wanting to be Italian explores themes of identity, belonging, and cultural desire through a young person's yearning to belong to a different culture. The poem presents the internal conflict of feeling disconnected from one's own environment while longing to inhabit an identity that feels more glamorous or exciting. Through playful language and an exploration of cultural stereotypes, Dharker examines how youth can be characterised by a search for self through the lens of different cultural identities. You can read the poem below followed by detailed analysis. 

In Wales, Wanting to be Italian by Imtiaz Dharker 

Is there a name for that thing
you do when you are young?
There must be a word for it in some language,
probably German, or if not just
asking to be made up, something like
Fremdlandischgehörenlust or perhaps
Einzumandererslandgehörenwunsch.

What is it called, living in Glasgow,
dying to be French, dying to shrug and pout
and make yourself understood
without saying a word?

Have you ever felt like that, being
in Bombay, wanting to declare,
like Freddie Mercury, that you are
from somewhere like Zanzibar?

In Wales, wanting to be Italian
What is that called? Being sixteen
in Wales, longing to be Italian,
to be able to say aloud,
without embarrassment, Bella, Bella!
lounge by a Vespa with a cigarette
hanging out of your mouth, and wear
impossibly pointed shoes?

Analysis of the Poem

Theme of Identity and Belonging

The central theme of the poem is the desire for a different identity, the wish to belong to a culture that seems more alluring or "other". The poem opens with the speaker’s reflection on a universal feeling of wanting to be something other than what you are: “Is there a name for that thing / you do when you are young?”. This question suggests that the feeling is so common it should have a specific name, a word that can encapsulate the longing to escape one's current identity. The speaker imagines that this word might exist in German, a language often associated with precision, offering a sense that the speaker's desire to categorise this feeling is part of the search for understanding. The invented German words "Fremdlandischgehörenlust" and "Einzumandererslandgehörenwunsch" creatively capture the idea of wanting to belong to another land or culture, which also highlights the speaker’s wish for this feeling to be recognised as something deep and essential.

This introduction establishes the poem’s central exploration of cultural dislocation and the impulse to adopt a different, perhaps more desirable, identity. The mention of German also plays with the idea of the “outsider” — someone who feels foreign in their own culture. It highlights the frustration of not being able to express this longing in their native language, and the desire to belong somewhere else.

The Universal Desire to Escape One's Own Identity

Throughout the poem, the speaker reflects on this feeling of wanting to be someone else in different locations, suggesting that it is a universal desire. In the second stanza, the speaker asks, “What is it called, living in Glasgow, / dying to be French, dying to shrug and pout / and make yourself understood / without saying a word?” Here, the speaker references stereotypical French gestures, such as shrugging and pouting, suggesting the desire to embrace not just the culture, but the effortless sophistication and mystique that can be associated with being French. This longing for “a way of being” that is distinct from one’s own culture is a recurring theme in the poem, with each cultural identity representing a different aspect of the speaker’s desire for self-expression and belonging.

The mention of Freddie Mercury and his declaration of being "from somewhere like Zanzibar" also introduces a sense of longing to claim a different origin. This line suggests the idea of claiming a heritage that is not one’s own but feels more glamorous or fitting to one’s image of who they want to be. Freddie Mercury, known for his unique, boundary-breaking identity, is a fitting example of someone who embraced multiple cultural identities, symbolising the flexibility of identity in a world where belonging is often fluid.

Longing for a Glamorous Identity

The title of the poem, In Wales, Wanting to be Italian, focuses on the specific longing to be Italian, which is the heart of the poem’s reflection on youth and cultural fantasy. In this section, the speaker expresses a deep yearning to adopt the cultural symbols associated with being Italian: “to be able to say aloud, / without embarrassment, Bella, Bella! / lounge by a Vespa with a cigarette / hanging out of your mouth, and wear / impossibly pointed shoes?” These are stereotypical symbols of Italian culture — a mix of romance, effortless cool, and a stylish way of life. The repetition of "Bella, Bella!" highlights the desire to express oneself in a more confident, romantic way, while also referencing a longing for the cultural and aesthetic values often associated with Italy.

The image of “lounge by a Vespa” evokes images of youthful freedom, rebellion, and the stylish ease often attributed to Italian culture, while “a cigarette hanging out of your mouth” further associates the speaker’s desired persona with a rebellious, nonchalant attitude. The phrase "impossibly pointed shoes" further emphasises the aesthetic and fashion elements of Italian culture that the speaker wishes to emulate. These desires reflect the way in which youth often idealises foreign cultures, attaching to them a sense of glamour and sophistication that seems lacking in their own environment.

Conflict of Cultural Identity

The line "What is that called? Being sixteen / in Wales, longing to be Italian" introduces the conflict between the speaker's current identity (Wales) and their desired identity (Italian). The specificity of “sixteen” indicates the age at which this feeling of cultural dislocation and desire for self-expression is particularly acute. Adolescence is often a time of searching for identity and grappling with a sense of belonging, and the speaker’s desire to adopt a foreign cultural identity is symbolic of this search for a self that feels more complete, more authentic, or more exciting than what they feel their own culture offers.

The desire to be Italian in Wales reflects a broader human experience of feeling out of place in one's own environment, of longing for a different cultural context that seems more glamorous, exciting, or “other.” In a way, the poem also comments on the role of culture and stereotypes in shaping our perception of who we should be, and how these external images influence the internal construction of identity.

Playful Tone and Wordplay

Dharker’s use of playful language throughout the poem adds an element of lightness and humour to the exploration of a serious subject. The inventiveness of the made-up German words, along with the casual tone of the lines describing the Italian dream, suggests that the speaker is not only reflecting on the longing to belong elsewhere but also playing with the idea that cultural identity is something fluid and, at times, fantastical. The playful tone makes the poem relatable to young readers, particularly those grappling with questions of identity and belonging.

Summary

In Wales, Wanting to be Italian is a reflection on youth’s yearning for a different identity and the sense of disconnection that can come with growing up in a specific place. Through the speaker's longing to adopt an Italian persona, Dharker explores themes of cultural identity, belonging, and the universal desire to escape one’s own life for something more exciting or glamorous. The poem’s playful language and humorous tone, combined with its exploration of deep themes of identity and cultural fantasy, make it a poignant reflection on the search for self during adolescence.

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Belonging Poetry Anthology Poems here.