What kind of poem is it? 'Search My Tongue' is a personal and emotional poem about language and identity. The use of the personal pronoun "I" suggests that this is his experience. Identity is important in the poem as her fears of losing her first language concern a fundamental part of what makes her who she is. Metaphors and Ideas The poem uses tongue in the mouth as a metaphor to explore the idea of ​​having both your native language and a second language: "I ask you, what would you do if you had two tongues in your mouth." This quote underlines that, for the writer, knowing how to speak two languages ​​brought difficulties. “I Ask You” involves the reader in her situation, making them so empathize with Bhatt in speaking a foreign language that she fears losing her native language. The metaphor of two languages, his native language and second language, is extended throughout the poem and refers to the themes of the possible death and rebirth of his language. The development of the poemThe poem starts from explaining what it means to lose your mother tongue: "your mother tongue would rot and rot and die in your mouth until I had to spit it out" to express the joy of rediscovering it, saying: "it grows again... the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth, pushes the other tongue aside." The repetition of the word "rot" in the first quote accentuates the speaker's negative feelings while "spit it out" creates a powerful image of someone getting rid of something disgusting. The images of regrowth in the second quote suggest the return of something familiar and safe. The tone of the poem The narrator moves from the initial feelings of pain and loss: "your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth..." to the feeling of joy his own tongue: "tie the other tongue in knots, the bud opens… pushes the other tongue aside.” Here it seems he is happy that his native language is returning and becoming strong again. The speaker also uses the word “blossom” to describe the return of the first language, conveying a happier tone. Poetic Techniques The repetition of certain words such as "tongue", "grows", "sprout", and "mouth" works powerfully to emphasize the ideas of the poem: "it grows again, a bud stump lengthens, it becomes moist, strong veins grow. .." The repetition of "grows" underlines the idea of ​​a new beginning, of a new life. Describing the different stages of growth creates a positive image of rebirth in the reader's mind, conveying the idea that the speaker's first language slowly returns when they didn't think it would..