BY YOUR OWN
DEFINITION
By Shabbir Banoobhai
by your own definition – Shabbir Banoobhai 2
THE POET
Shabbir Banoobhai was born on the 23 rd of October 1949 in Durban. He
was born to two Indian immigrants who had 4 other children together.
Shabbir and only one of his sisters would survive to adulthood, with his
sister later dying in childbirth.
He studied teaching at the Springfield College of Education in Durban,
however, he only taught for four years and in this period also obtained
a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa
(Unisa).
He met with Douglas Livingstone, who Shabbir referred to as “one of
South Africa’s finest poets”. Livingstone would later become his mentor
and friend.
Banoobhai is currently a lecturer at the University of Cape Town. His
poetry has been described as concerned with spiritual, political and
personal themes.
by your own definition
i drink too deeply
THE POEM
the blood of roses
lean on a leaf
for comfort
mistake mysteriously
a thorn for a star
when the world curls itself
around my fingers
seas gather in my palms
trees sustain the sky
my life lifts to loving
love leaps to living
THE POEM
and without words i strive to answer
questions you have never asked
oh making you understand
is like trying to crush
the skull of a mountain
by your own definition – Shabbir Banoobhai 5
ANALYSIS OF THE POEM
What the poem is about:
• This poem is a poet’s painful cry about being misunderstood.
• In his own eyes, he lives in a magical world where his sensitivity and connection with nature make
him feel powerful and free.
• Unfortunately, someone close to him (who he addresses in this poem) does not understand and
experience things the way that he does.
• This lack of understanding makes the poet feel lonely.
• He wishes the person he addresses could experience the world the same as he does.
Specifics of the poem:
• The poem is a free verse poem with a sensitive, sad or lonely tone.
• The lack of rhyme and a fixed meter reflects the open-ended, introspective nature of the speaker's
reflections about identity
• The poet makes use of personification – to emphasise an action or image, and alliteration – to
emphasise a sound which makes words more memorable and creates a certain mood.
• The poem is also full of metaphors.
FIGURES OF SPEECH 6
Personification:
• the blood of roses
• when the world curls itself
• love leaps to living
• the skull of a mountain
Metaphors:
• lean on a leaf/for comfort – the poet finds comfort in nature.
• seas gather in my palm – uses metaphor to emphasize how much
power he has through his connection with nature.
• trees sustain the sky – his world is nature-centered, trees
metaphorically support it.
• my life lifts to loving – love is at the center of his worldly experience.
Simile:
• like trying to crush
FIGURES OF SPEECH 7
Alliteration:
• lean on a leaf
• mistake mysteriously
• trees sustain the sky
• my life lifts to loving
Assonance:
• when the world curls itself
STRUCTURE
8
• The poem is written in free verse with no definitive rhythm or rhyme scheme.
• The is no punctuation in this poem.
• The stanzas are often short, sometimes consisting of only two or three lines.
This gives the poem a fragmented quality, perhaps mirroring the complexity
and multifaceted nature of identity, which is not easily encapsulated in a single
thought or phrase.
• Stanzas create natural pauses but the run-on lines (enjambments), evoke
Banoobhai’s effort to answer the questions you have never asked.
• This technique suggests an ongoing, evolving thought process,
underscoring the idea that identity is not fixed but rather fluid and
constantly under construction.
• The placement of the stanzas on the page create a more organically ‘shaped’
poem than if they were lined up and tabbed left.
• This adds to the message that the poet wishes to convey: he wants to live
naturally, creatively and without constraints (as with nature).
9
DICTION AND WORD
CHOICE
• Simple, Reflective Language: Banoobhai’s choice of words is
simple but profound. His language evokes a quiet, introspective
mood as the speaker delves into self-examination. Words like
"definition," "silence," "name," and "truth" are abstract, yet carry
weight in the context of personal identity.
• Repetitive Phrasing: The use of repetition, especially in key
phrases such as "by your own definition," reinforces the theme of
self-determination and emphasizes the poem’s central question:
how much control do we truly have over our own identity?
• Abstract Concepts: Banoobhai frequently deals with abstract
concepts like truth, identity, and meaning. These concepts are
left deliberately open-ended, inviting readers to interpret them in
the context of their own lives.
IMAGERY AND
SYMBOLISM
• Identity as Definition: The central metaphor in the poem equates identity with
definition. Banoobhai plays with the idea that to define something is to limit or
constrain it. This suggests that attempting to define oneself or others inherently
imposes limitations. The speaker seems to challenge the reader to consider whether
true identity can ever be fully defined.
• Silence as Self-Discovery: Silence in the poem is symbolic of reflection, self-
discovery, and the space where true identity might reside. The idea of being able to
"hear" silence is paradoxical but underscores the notion that self-knowledge comes
from introspection, not external labels or definitions.
• Naming and Truth: Naming in the poem symbolizes identity but also raises the
question of whether names (or labels) truly capture the essence of a person. The
tension
by your own definition – Shabbir Banoobhai 11
TONE AND MOOD
Tone: The tone of the poem is reflective and philosophical. The
speaker’s inquiry into identity is not accusatory or harsh, but
rather thoughtful and searching. There’s a sense of quiet
questioning that runs throughout the poem, as though the speaker
is inviting the reader to join in on this journey of self-discovery.
Mood: The mood of the poem is contemplative, with an
undercurrent of ambiguity. The open-endedness of the poem
invites introspection and evokes a sense of wonder about the
complexity of human identity.
by your own definition – Shabbir Banoobhai 12
THEMES
• Self-Definition vs. External Definition: A central theme of the poem is the tension between how
we define ourselves and how we are defined by others or external forces. The phrase "by your
own definition" suggests the importance of self-determination, but the poem also raises the
question of whether we can ever fully define ourselves or escape the definitions imposed upon
us by society.
• The Limitations of Language: Banoobhai’s poem questions whether language is an adequate tool
for capturing the essence of identity. The emphasis on “definition” suggests that words and
labels may fall short of expressing the true nature of the self.
• The Search for Truth: The poem touches on the search for truth—not only in a philosophical or
existential sense but also in terms of personal identity. The speaker seems to suggest that truth
is elusive, perhaps lying in the silence between words, in the spaces where language fails.
• The Fluidity of Identity: Through its structure and language, the poem suggests that identity is
not a fixed concept, but rather something fluid and ever-changing. The use of enjambment, free
verse, and fragmented stanzas reflects this theme of identity as a process rather than a finished
product.
