Is Inglan a “Bitch” really according to Linton Kwesi Johnson ?

Linton Kwesi Johnson- Inglan is a Bitch

Linton Kwesi Johnson is a British poet, born in Chapeltown, Jamaica in 1952. He moved to London in 1963, and he was educated at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Among other poets, he has worked as an Education Officer, together with Benjamin Zephaniah and John Agard. Linton Kwesi Johnson is one of the foremost dub poets, all of whom write poetry primarily for performance. Political and social protest, with accompanying demotic rhetoric and articulate anger, are strong elements in Johnson’s poems. He is also successful in adapting English rhyme to West Indian speech patterns. His collections include Vıices of the Living and the Dead (1974), Dread Beat an’ Blood (1975), and Inglan Is a Bitch (1980). His recorded works included Forces of Victory (1979), Bass Culture (1980) Making History (1984), Tings and Times: Selected Poems (1991) was released as both a book and a recording.

In Johnson’s poetry, oppressive life (of black) in Britain is an important theme. He gives place to experience black people and black youth, and is a strong defender of black identity. Johnsons intentionally uses the sub-standard English which is called Creole (postcolonial issues). His poetry includes a severe and harsh criticism of Britain, the police, discrimination, violence towards the black.

You can find accusation and complaining in the background of the poem, Inglan is a Bitch. Racism is the dominant theme of the poem. Also, we see the history of black people in Britain. Moreover, he talks about the specific experience of black people. Black workers coming from the colonies were maltreated, and they were earning little money. Linton Kwesi Johnson doesn’t use punctuation mark intentionally because he wants to harm the language. The persona, the speaker of the poem is hungry and he cannot sleep, but white people call the black workers lazy. Johnson is trying to reconstruct the general ideas about black people.  The black workers in the poem are presented as doing the least desirable jobs and getting the lowest payment. there is also betrayal, beating, selling people for money in the period.  In the poem, Bitch refers to England as a female dog and it is an insult to England.

The poem:

Inglan Is a Bitch
w'en mi jus' come to Landan toun
mi use to work pan di andahgroun
but workin' pan di andahgroun
y'u don't get fi know your way aroun'

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
dere's no runnin' whey fram it

mi get a lickle jab in a big 'otell
an' aftah a while, mi woz doin' quite well
dem staat mi aaf as a dish-washah
but w'en mi tek a stack, mi noh tun clackwatchah!

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
noh baddah try fi hide fram it

w'en em gi'you di lickle wage packit
fus dem rab it wid dem big tax rackit
y'u haffi struggle fi meek en's meet
an' w'en y'u goh a y'u bed y'u jus' cant sleep

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch fi true
a noh lie mi a tell, a true


mi use to work dig ditch w'en it cowl noh bitch
mi did strang like a mule, but, bwoy, mi did fool
den awftah a while mi jus' stap dhu ovahtime
den aftah a while mi jus' phu dung mi too

Inglan is a bitch  
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
y'u haffi know how fi suvvive in it

well mi dhu day wok an' mi duh nite wok
mi duh clean wok an' mi duh dutty wok
dem seh dat black man is very lazy
but it y'u si mi wok y'u woulda sey mi crazy

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
y'u bettah face up to it

dem have a lickle facktri up inna Brackly
inna disya facktri all dem dhu is pack crackry
fi di laas fifteen years dem get mi laybah
now awftah fiteen years mi fall out a fayvah

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
dere's no runnin' whey fram it

mi know dem have work, work in abundant
yet still, dem mek mi redundant
now, at fifty-five mi gettin' quite ol'
yet still, dem sen' mi fi goh draw dole

Inglan is a bitch
dere's no escapin it
Inglan is a bitch
is whey wi a goh dhu 'bout it?

So, he is talking about a specific experience he had in Britain as a black person. He is talking about racism towards black people. He is earning little money. He is therefore accusing the system and British people. Johnson’s poetry is an attempt to define blacks, claims cultural uniqueness. Finding a good job is difficult for black people.

( Kut Belenli, Pelin. “Black British Poetry- Linton Kwesi Johnson” CBP. Dumlupınar University, Kütahya )

The New Type of Poetry of the Late 20th Century; Black British Poetry