From local to global: the trajectory of Dionne Brand's political engagement

Abstract

This study discusses the trajectory of Dionne Brand's poetry in its political engagement with the issues of diaspora, post-colonialism, the Multiculturalism Act in Canada, and struggles of visible minorities. The poet's political discourse is mainly analyzed in light of the intersections between race, class, gender and sexuality. The analysis shows that Brand explores a multitude of voices, that is, a polyphonic discourse in which the poet articulates her political views in order to represent the experience of otherness. Findings also show that Brand's poetic act of resistance expresses her hybrid language which subverts the dominant discourse. The poet also discusses her experience with racism, her vision about the notion of national identity, and her criticism against the media regarding the manipulation of violence and cultural destruction.