The sibilance and alliteration of ‘Stowed in the sea to invade’ conjure up the sound of the sea and are also reminiscent of Old English alliterative verse, suggesting a certain primitiveness in the account of the voyage as well as highlighting the threat that some believe immigrants present. This, however, also reminds the reader that England is part of an island nation whose population is made up of invaders. Nagra successfully mingles the suggestion of racist attitudes with an ironic reminder of history. The immigrants are camouflaged while the animals are out in the open, making noise and going where they please. The speaker also described the “scummed / cliffs” of the shoreline. This is in contrast to the white cliffs normally associated with Dover. One can’t help but wonder how this initial impression of England contrasted with that the immigrants might’ve expected. The title is ungrammatical, Nagra teasing his own people for their incorrect English with gentle humour. In another poem Singh Song the humour is sustained throughout, while here the mood is more sombre.

Tippoo Sultan's Incredible White-Man-Eating Tiger Toy-Machine!!!' Philippa Conlon, Prospect MagazineNagra has been on the Board of the Poetry Book Society and the Poetry Archive. He has judged the 2008 Samuel Johnson Prize, [10] the Guardian First Book Award 2008, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2008, the National Poetry Competition 2009, the 2010 Manchester Poetry Prize. [11] and the Costa Book Award poetry category and overall winner in 2012. He has also hosted the T. S. Eliot Poetry Readings 2009. He was the Keats House Poet-In-Residence from July 2014 to June 2015, and he was an Eton College Wisdom Scholar in November 2014.

Higgins, Charlotte (16 July 2008). "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher wins Samuel Johnson prize". The Guardian . Retrieved 16 July 2008. Competition judges". Manchester Poetry Prize. Manchester Metropolitan University. Archived from the original on 31 March 2010 . Retrieved 17 September 2010. Eminent group adds pens of Andrea Levy and Jean Rhys to its collection as it sets out to champion writers of colour Identity: British identity is explored through various iconic images and well known references, but this idea of identity is also increasingly morphed by additional cultural identities. Descriptions such as “swarms” take individuality out of those coming to the country, showing how identity can easily be removed and stereotypes applied.In 2023, Nagra wrote a spoken-word piece that was performed by actor James Nesbitt at the Coronation Concert, to mark the coronation of Charles III and Camilla. [21] Personal life [ edit ] Flood, Alison (30 November 2020). "Royal Society of Literature reveals historic changes to improve diversity". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 December 2020. The second stanza of ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’begins with a good example of alliteration, the simple connection of the words “Seagull” and “shoal.” These lines are just as complicated and as filled with adjectives and verbs as the first. The immigrants are doing their best to stay hidden from anyone looking their way, but are not helped by the seagulls and other animals which, Before beginning this piece it is important to take note of the epigraph that begins the piece. It is a short quote from Matthew Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach.’It reads, “So various, so beautiful, so new…” There is nothing “beautiful” about the speaker’s description of the Dover shore in the first stanzas of the text. Analysis of Look We Have Coming to Dover! Stanza One

The use of non English words is an intriguing way in which Nagra can be seen to be critical of anti-immigration ideas and sentiments, demonstrating how English has naturally evolved to incorporate words from other languages. There are many examples, such as “alfresco” (Italian) and “camouflage” (French) within the first two stanzas, and reference to champagne through “charged glasses” in the final stanza. This would be very effective for readers who notice the inclusion of such words but don’t immediately see them as ‘foreign’ because it would demonstrate how language has evolved, and how little it has been realised by modern society. There is also frequent use of commas and hyphens throughout the poem, which may represent the idea of diversity and change within society due to the frequent use of these different types of punctuation. Some readers could also interpret this as continuing the idea of foreign languages and speech, with these pauses representing the thinking and consideration for new words when a non-native speaker is using another language. However, as these pieces of punctuation are generally used to join sentences and words together (in comparison to full breaks with caesura, such as full stops and exclamation marks), it could be seen that this is demonstrating how different cultures and people bring society closer together. Poetic TechniquesTHE AWARD-winning Anglo-Indian poet, Daljit Nagra, whose ebullient, sharp-witted poems have made him one of Britain's most popular and acclaimed poets, reads from his work at the Town Hall Theatre this Saturday, as part of C�irt.

Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ by Daljit Nagra tells of the arrival of immigrants to England and of their lives filled with hard work, fears, and dreams.

First World War Poetry Showcase

Elsewhere, the effect is straightforwardly poetic. "Darling is so pirouettey with us/ for whirlwind married month" says the husband in "Darling & Me!"; the transformation of the technical French "pirouette" into an adjective gives a rapturous lift to the line, its freshness reflecting the startling joy the newly-married couple have discovered in each other. Like his stylistic forebear Dylan Thomas, Nagra's creative latitude with words lends the surfaces of his poems colour and movement and opens up new vistas for his readers, transforming language from the barrier it was for his parents' generation into a conduit, a space in which the duality of the immigrant's experience can reside.