Darling: New & Selected Poems

Darling: New & Selected Poems is a poetry book by Jackie Kay.[3] It was first published by Bloodaxe Books on 27 October 2007.[4] Gap Year, Keeping Orchids, Lucozade, My Grandmother's Houses, Old Tongue, and Whilst Leila Sleeps are all National 5 Scottish texts.[5][6]

Darling: New & Selected Poems
AuthorJackie Kay
CountryScotland
LanguageEnglish
SubjectIdentity[1]
GenrePoetry
PublisherBloodaxe Books
Publication date
27 October 2007
Pages224[2]
ISBN9781852247775

Poems

Gap Year

The poem describes Jackie Kay and her son Matthew's bond.[7] Her son leaves her to travel and be more independent.[8]

Keeping Orchids

The poem describes Jackie Kay's first meeting with her birth mother.[9] The orchids symbolise the difficulty of their relationship.[10]

Lucozade

The poem describes a daughter visiting her mother in hospital.[11] The daughter brings her mother gifts such as Lucozade, which was commonly given to sick people.[12] Her mother refuses to take the gifts. The poem ends with the daughter removing the symbols of illness and in turn lifting the burden of illness.[13]

My Grandmother's Houses

The poem describes different houses that the narrator associates with her grandmother.[14] It gives insight into the narrator's childhood and her grandmother's personality.[15]

Old Tongue

The poem describes the experience of losing your native tongue.[16] The narrator wanders if they will ever say the words they used to say again.[17] The poem includes Scottish words and phrases such as “eedyit”, “dreich” and “shut yer geggie”.[18]

Whilst Leila Sleeps

The poem describes a mother and daughter who are fleeing from “men in plain suits”.[19] It can be inferred that they are immigrants facing deportation.[20]

Critical response

Fiona Sampson, reviewing the book for The Guardian, called it "satisfyingly compendious" and said that one of Jackie Kay's greatest strengths is the "way she locates individual experience in the collective".[21]

Out of over 100 ratings, the poem as of June 2021 has a rating of 4.01/5 stars on Goodreads.[22]

References
  1. Kay, Jackie (2007). Darling New & Selected Poems (Paperback). ISBN 9781852246303. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  2. "Darling: New and Selected Poems (Paperback)". Waterstones. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. "Darling : New and Selected Poems". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  4. "JACKIE KAY". Bloodaxe Books. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  5. "Scottish texts for National 5 and Higher English courses" (PDF). SQA. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. "Background". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  7. "Gap Year". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  8. "Gap Year". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  9. "Keeping Orchids". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  10. "Keeping Orchids". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  11. "Lucozade Poem by Jackie Kay". PoemHunter. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  12. "Lucozade by Jackie Kay". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  13. "Lucozade". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  14. "My Grandmother's Houses by Jackie Kay". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  15. "My Grandmother's Houses". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  16. "Old Tongue by Jackie Kay". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  17. "Old Tongue". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  18. "Old Tongue by Jackie Kay". YouTube. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  19. "Whilst Leila Sleeps by Jackie Kay". Scottish Poetry Library. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  20. "Whilst Leila Sleeps". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  21. "The map on her face". The Guardian. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  22. "Darling: New & Selected Poems". Goodreads. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
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