“Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

Table of Contents

“Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt first appeared in her debut poetry collection Brunizem, published by Carcanet Press in 1988. The poem explores the emotional struggle of living between two languages and cultures, reflecting Bhatt’s own experience as an Indian-born poet educated in the United States and England. Through the metaphor of a decaying tongue—“your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth”—Bhatt captures the deep sense of loss and alienation that accompanies linguistic displacement. However, the poem ultimately conveys hope and renewal, as the poet’s native Gujarati “grows back, a stump of a shoot… the bud opens in my mouth,” symbolizing the revival of her cultural identity. The inclusion of Gujarati lines at the poem’s center reinforces the coexistence of her two worlds, making the theme of bilingual and bicultural identity both personal and universal. Search for My Tongue remains one of Bhatt’s most celebrated and anthologized works, admired for its vivid imagery, emotional honesty, and its poignant meditation on language, identity, and belonging.

Text: “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

You ask me what I mean

by saying I have lost my tongue.

I ask you, what would you do

if you had two tongues in your mouth,

and lost the first one, the mother tongue,

and could not really know the other,

the foreign tongue.

You could not use them both together

even if you thought that way.

And if you lived in a place you had to

speak a foreign tongue,

your mother tongue would rot,

rot and die in your mouth

until you had to spit it out.

I thought I spit it out

but overnight while I dream,

munay hutoo kay aakhee jeebh aakhee bhasha

may thoonky nakhi chay

parantoo rattray svupnama mari bhasha pachi aavay chay

foolnee jaim mari bhasha nmari jeebh

modhama kheelay chay

fullnee jaim mari bhasha mari jeebh

modhama pakay chay

it grows back, a stump of a shoot

grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins,

it ties the other tongue in knots,

the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth,

it pushes the other tongue aside.

Everytime I think I’ve forgotten,

I think I’ve lost the mother tongue,

it blossoms out of my mouth.

Annotations: “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

Stanza / Section	Summary & Detailed Annotation (in Simple English)	Key Literary Devices (with Examples & Explanations)
Stanza 1 (Lines 1–13) “You ask me what I mean / by saying I have lost my tongue…”	The poet speaks directly to the reader, explaining the pain of losing her mother tongue (Gujarati) while adapting to a foreign tongue (English). She compares this loss to having “two tongues” in her mouth that cannot coexist. Her native language begins to rot and die from disuse in a foreign environment. The tone is sorrowful and conflicted, showing the poet’s struggle between two cultural identities.	Metaphor: “I have lost my tongue” — language as identity. Symbolism: “Two tongues” = two cultures/languages. Personification: “Your mother tongue would rot and die” — language given human qualities. Repetition: “Rot, rot and die” — emphasizes loss. Alliteration: “Mother tongue would rot” — highlights decay. Tone: Conflicted and mournful. Internal Conflict: Between native and foreign identity.
Stanza 2 (Gujarati Section, Lines 14–20) “munay hutoo kay aakhee jeebh aakhee bhasha…”	Bhatt shifts to Gujarati, her mother tongue, to show the problem rather than merely talk about it. Non-Gujarati readers experience the same alienation she feels when surrounded by a foreign language. The Gujarati lines describe the return of her native language in her dreams—it grows, flourishes, and blooms like a flower. This represents the subconscious revival of identity and language that cannot be destroyed.	Code-Switching: Mixing Gujarati with English — symbolizes bilingual reality. Contrast: English vs. Gujarati — cultural duality. Imagery: “Blooms like a flower” — natural rebirth of language. Simile: “Like a flower” — emphasizes beauty and renewal. Juxtaposition: Two languages side by side — struggle and harmony. Cultural Symbolism: Gujarati = roots and identity.
Stanza 3 (Lines 21–30) “It grows back, a stump of a shoot…”	Returning to English, the poet describes how her mother tongue grows back like a plant — alive, strong, and unstoppable. The language “ties the other tongue in knots,” suggesting that her native tongue regains dominance and confidence. The repeated imagery of growth (“shoot,” “veins,” “bud,” “blossoms”) reflects hope and revival. The final lines express triumph — her native identity blossoms out of her mouth again, symbolizing cultural pride and self-acceptance.	Extended Metaphor: Growth of tongue as a plant — represents language revival. Imagery: “Grows moist, grows strong veins” — evokes vitality. Repetition: “The bud opens, the bud opens” — emphasizes renewal. Organic Imagery: Natural, life-like growth — continuity of identity. Irony: “I thought I spit it out” — shows that language cannot truly die. Tone: Transforming from despair to hope. Parallelism: “The bud opens, the bud opens” — rhythm of rebirth.
Overall Themes & Structure	Bhatt explores identity, displacement, and linguistic rebirth. The poem’s structure—English → Gujarati → English—mirrors the emotional journey of loss, rediscovery, and reconciliation. It portrays that language is not just communication but a living embodiment of culture and belonging.	Structure: English–Gujarati–English — symbolizes confusion, revival, and balance. Theme: Identity, language, cultural belonging. Contrast: Death vs. rebirth imagery. Symbolism: Tongue = culture, roots, and self. Organic Imagery: Language as a living, growing entity. Tone Progression: Conflicted → Reflective → Empowered.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

No.	Device	Definition	Example from the Poem	Explanation
2	Anaphora	Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive lines or clauses.	“I ask you, what would you do / if you had two tongues in your mouth”	The repetition of “I” and “you” establishes a direct and confrontational tone, pulling the reader into the poet’s internal conflict and forcing them to empathize with her linguistic dilemma.
3	Assonance	Repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words.	“You could not use them both together”	The soft repetition of the “o” sound creates a musical flow, echoing the struggle of balancing two tongues. It slows the rhythm to reflect hesitation and uncertainty.
4	Bilingualism (Code-Switching)	Alternation between two languages within the same text.	The insertion of Gujarati lines in the middle stanza.	By blending Gujarati with English, Bhatt demonstrates the coexistence of her two languages. The Gujarati section symbolizes the resurgence of her mother tongue, showing that despite living in a foreign culture, her native language remains alive within her.
5	Colloquial Language	Use of informal, conversational speech to create realism or intimacy.	“You ask me what I mean / by saying I have lost my tongue.”	The direct and conversational tone mimics everyday speech, making the poem personal and relatable. It bridges the gap between poet and reader, grounding the abstract idea of identity in real human conversation.
6	Conceit (Extended Metaphor)	A sustained comparison that extends throughout a poem.	The “tongue” as both the physical organ and the mother language.	The poem’s entire emotional framework rests on this extended metaphor. The “tongue” represents not just speech but identity, culture, and memory. Losing it equals losing selfhood, while its regrowth stands for rediscovering one’s roots.
7	Contrast	Juxtaposition of opposing ideas or images to highlight differences.	“lost the first one, the mother tongue, / and could not really know the other”	The contrast between the “mother tongue” and the “foreign tongue” expresses the emotional rift between cultural heritage and adopted identity. It highlights the poet’s divided sense of belonging.
8	Enjambment	The continuation of a sentence or phrase beyond the end of a line or stanza.	“and lost the first one, the mother tongue, / and could not really know the other”	Enjambment mimics the flowing confusion of thought, representing the fluid yet conflicting relationship between the two languages in Bhatt’s mind. It keeps the reader moving forward, echoing the struggle to find linguistic balance.
9	Imagery	Descriptive language appealing to the senses.	“It grows back, a stump of a shoot, grows longer, grows moist.”	The vivid image of a growing plant conveys renewal and hope. Bhatt transforms the abstract idea of language revival into a physical, sensory experience that readers can visualize and feel.
10	Metaphor	A comparison where one thing represents another without using “like” or “as.”	“I have lost my tongue.”	The “tongue” here metaphorically represents the poet’s native language and, by extension, her cultural identity. Losing it signifies a loss of heritage and belonging.
11	Personification	Giving human characteristics to non-human things.	“Your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth.”	Bhatt personifies the mother tongue as something that can live, rot, or die, making the abstract concept of language tangible and emotionally powerful. This intensifies the sense of loss.
12	Repetition	The deliberate reuse of words or phrases for emphasis.	“rot, rot and die” / “the bud opens, the bud opens”	Repetition reinforces emotional states: decay in the first instance, and rebirth in the second. It mirrors the cyclical nature of forgetting and remembering one’s roots.
13	Sensory Imagery	Language that appeals to the five senses to create vivid mental pictures.	“grows moist, grows strong veins”	The tactile imagery of growth and strength evokes a living organism returning to life. It draws readers into the physicality of the transformation from silence to expression.
14	Simile	A comparison using “like” or “as.”	“foolnee jaim mari bhasha nmari jeebh / modhama kheelay chay” (Gujarati for “it blossoms like a flower in my mouth”)	The simile compares her mother tongue to a blooming flower, suggesting beauty, regeneration, and the natural resilience of cultural identity.
15	Structure (Tripartite Form)	Division of a poem into three distinct sections or movements.	The poem’s shift from English → Gujarati → English.	The three-part structure mirrors the psychological process of linguistic alienation, subconscious reconnection, and conscious rediscovery. The return to English at the end signifies integration rather than loss.
16	Symbolism	Use of an image or object to represent broader ideas.	The “tongue.”	The tongue functions as a symbol of both language and identity. Its decay reflects cultural loss, while its regrowth symbolizes resilience and revival.
17	Tone	The poet’s attitude toward the subject matter.	From despair to hope.	The poem begins with frustration and sorrow at the perceived death of her mother tongue but transitions to optimism as it “blossoms” again. This tonal progression mirrors an emotional and cultural rebirth.
18	Transliteration	Representing the sounds of one language in the script of another.	Gujarati lines written in Roman script.	Transliteration allows non-Gujarati readers to experience the sound and rhythm of her native language. It bridges cultural boundaries and asserts the presence of her heritage within an English framework.
19	Voice (First-Person Narration)	The use of “I” to convey personal perspective and emotion.	“I ask you, what would you do…”	The first-person narration personalizes the poem, expressing Bhatt’s intimate emotional conflict. It creates authenticity and invites empathy from the reader.
20	Visual Imagery	Description appealing to the sense of sight.	“the bud opens in my mouth.”	This striking image conveys the physical and emotional renewal of language. The opening bud visually represents reawakening, self-discovery, and linguistic rebirth.

Themes: “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

🌿 1. Loss and Rediscovery of Cultural Identity

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the poet explores the emotional pain of losing her native language and the cultural identity tied to it. She conveys this sense of loss through the striking metaphor “your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth,” which symbolizes how her first language fades when she must speak a foreign one. The line “and lost the first one, the mother tongue” reveals her deep sadness and the emptiness of cultural displacement. However, Bhatt’s tone shifts from despair to revival as her native tongue “grows back” and “blossoms out of my mouth.” This transformation represents the rediscovery of her roots and the resilience of cultural identity. The poem ultimately celebrates that one’s heritage and mother tongue, though suppressed, can never truly vanish—they live on in memory and spirit.

🌷 2. Power of Language and Expression

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, language is portrayed as more than communication—it is the essence of identity and emotional expression. Bhatt contrasts the foreign tongue, which she must use daily, with the mother tongue, which embodies her cultural and spiritual connection. She admits, “You could not use them both together / even if you thought that way,” expressing the struggle of balancing two linguistic worlds. Yet, through powerful imagery such as “it grows back, a stump of a shoot… the bud opens in my mouth,” Bhatt portrays language as a living force that endures. This organic imagery celebrates the strength of the mother tongue—it is not dead but dormant, waiting to reemerge. The poem reminds readers that language carries one’s memories, emotions, and sense of belonging, making it inseparable from personal identity.

🌼 3. Bilingualism and Internal Conflict

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the poet expresses the inner tension of bilingualism and the divided sense of self that comes with it. The metaphor “if you had two tongues in your mouth” captures the confusion and discomfort of existing between two languages. Bhatt’s shift into Gujarati midway through the poem deepens this conflict, letting readers feel the alienation she experiences when her cultural identity is overshadowed by a foreign one. The line “I thought I spit it out” signifies her attempt to reject or suppress her native language in favor of English, but its reappearance in dreams shows its emotional persistence. By the end, Bhatt achieves a sense of harmony, suggesting that the coexistence of two languages, though difficult, can lead to a richer and more complete identity.

🌸 4. Rebirth, Hope, and the Resilience of Identity

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the poem’s final stanza transforms the tone from sorrow to hope, using vivid natural imagery to symbolize renewal. Bhatt writes, “a stump of a shoot grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins,” comparing the revival of her mother tongue to the growth of a plant. This imagery reflects vitality and rebirth, showing that her language—and by extension, her identity—remains alive. The repetition “the bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth” emphasizes the unstoppable resurgence of her cultural voice. When the poet declares that her language “blossoms out of my mouth,” she celebrates triumph over alienation and affirms her enduring connection to her roots. The poem ends with optimism, proving that cultural and linguistic identity, no matter how deeply buried, will always find a way to bloom again.

Literary Theories and “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

Literary Theory	Key Ideas / Concepts	Application to “Search for My Tongue” (with textual references)
1. Postcolonial Theory	Focuses on identity, displacement, cultural hybridity, and the effects of colonialism on language and selfhood.	The poet’s conflict between “mother tongue” and “foreign tongue” reflects postcolonial loss and recovery of cultural identity. The line “your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth” symbolizes colonial suppression, while “it blossoms out of my mouth” marks linguistic and cultural reclamation.
2. Feminist Theory	Emphasizes voice, identity, and self-expression in a patriarchal and colonial world.	The poem gives a woman’s voice to the experience of cultural silencing. Through “I ask you, what would you do,” Bhatt asserts female agency and linguistic independence. The regrowth of her tongue—“the bud opens in my mouth”—represents empowerment and self-renewal.
3. Psychoanalytic Theory & Structuralism	Psychoanalytic: explores dreams, repression, and subconscious desires. Structuralism: studies binary oppositions and meaning through language.	The dream sequence—“but overnight while I dream, / it grows back”—reveals the subconscious return of the repressed mother tongue (Psychoanalytic). Structurally, the poem’s binary of “mother tongue” vs. “foreign tongue” exposes cultural duality and dependence of meaning (Structuralism).

Critical Questions about “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

🌸 1. How does Sujata Bhatt use the metaphor of the ‘tongue’ to explore identity and language in “Search for My Tongue”?

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the extended metaphor of the tongue powerfully captures the tension between linguistic loss and cultural identity. When Bhatt declares, “I have lost my tongue,” she symbolically refers to the fading of her native Gujarati language under the pressure of English. The tongue represents far more than speech—it embodies identity, belonging, and self-expression. The stark repetition in “your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth” evokes decay and alienation, illustrating how language loss corrodes cultural roots. Yet, the metaphor evolves into renewal when the poet writes, “it grows back, a stump of a shoot… the bud opens in my mouth,” transforming despair into rebirth. Through this central metaphor, Bhatt portrays language as a living, regenerative force that survives repression and blossoms again through memory and emotion.

✨ 2. How does the structure of “Search for My Tongue” reflect the poet’s emotional and linguistic journey?

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the poem’s three-part structure mirrors the poet’s psychological progression from loss to rediscovery. The opening English section expresses alienation—“if you lived in a place you had to speak a foreign tongue”—capturing how migration silences the speaker’s native voice. The middle section, written in Gujarati, interrupts this foreignness with the spontaneous resurgence of her mother tongue, suggesting the persistence of cultural identity even in exile. Finally, the return to English—“it blossoms out of my mouth”—signifies reconciliation and renewal. This structural pattern not only enacts Bhatt’s bilingual experience but also dramatizes the transformation from repression to self-recovery. The alternation between languages becomes a rhythmic embodiment of hybridity, showing that identity is not lost but continually reborn through linguistic coexistence.

🌿 3. What role does the dream imagery play in expressing the subconscious struggle in “Search for My Tongue”?

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, dream imagery serves as a profound expression of the subconscious effort to reclaim suppressed identity. The poet confesses, “I thought I spit it out, but overnight while I dream, / it grows back, a stump of a shoot,” depicting how her mother tongue re-emerges from the depths of her unconscious mind. The organic imagery of growth—“grows moist, grows strong veins”—transforms the abstract idea of cultural memory into a tactile and living phenomenon. This dreamlike regeneration suggests that even when external circumstances demand assimilation, the psyche nurtures the remnants of one’s native culture. Through this imagery, Bhatt reveals that identity, like nature, is cyclical and self-restorative—it cannot truly be erased but blooms again in moments of introspection and emotional awakening.

🌺 4. How does “Search for My Tongue” capture the universal experience of linguistic and cultural displacement?

In “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt, the poet transforms a deeply personal struggle into a universal reflection on the pain and resilience of those living between languages and cultures. The opening question—“You ask me what I mean by saying I have lost my tongue”—creates an intimate dialogue that invites empathy from readers who share similar feelings of dislocation. Bhatt’s imagery of loss and regeneration—“your mother tongue would rot, rot and die… it blossoms out of my mouth”—transcends individual experience, capturing the emotional reality of immigrants and diasporic communities. Her blend of English and Gujarati embodies the duality of belonging to two worlds while being fully at home in neither. Ultimately, Bhatt’s poem becomes a celebration of linguistic survival, showing that identity, though fractured by migration, can be reborn through the enduring power of one’s native voice.

Literary Works Similar to “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

🌷 1. “Half-Caste” by John Agard
Like “Search for My Tongue”, this poem explores issues of identity, language, and cultural hybridity. Agard challenges racial and linguistic prejudice through conversational tone and Caribbean-English dialect, just as Bhatt uses Gujarati to assert pride in her heritage and reject cultural marginalization.

🌼 2. “Presents from My Aunts in Pakistan” by Moniza Alvi
This poem, like “Search for My Tongue”, captures the conflict of belonging to two cultures. Alvi’s speaker struggles between her British upbringing and Pakistani roots, mirroring Bhatt’s experience of losing and rediscovering her linguistic and cultural identity. Both poets use imagery of divided selfhood to express displacement and longing.

🌸 3. “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
While more assertive in tone, Angelou’s poem shares with “Search for My Tongue” the theme of resilience and self-affirmation. Just as Bhatt’s mother tongue “blossoms” back in her mouth, Angelou’s speaker rises above oppression with dignity and pride. Both poems celebrate the endurance of one’s identity against forces that seek to suppress it.

🌺 4. “Digging” by Seamus Heaney
Like “Search for My Tongue”, this poem connects language with heritage and roots. Heaney compares his pen to his father’s spade, symbolizing how writing allows him to preserve his Irish identity. Similarly, Bhatt’s use of her mother tongue restores her connection to her origins and family tradition.

🌹 5. “The Unknown Citizen” by W. H. Auden
Although stylistically different, this poem echoes “Search for My Tongue” in its exploration of identity and individuality within social systems. Bhatt’s voice resists the erasure of her linguistic self, while Auden’s citizen represents a life stripped of personal identity. Both works question what it means to lose one’s authentic self in a world of conformity or assimilation.

Representative Quotations of “Search for My Tongue” by Sujata Bhatt

No.	Quotation 🌸	Context and Theoretical Perspective (in bold)
1	🌸 “I have lost my tongue.”	Postcolonial / Identity Conflict: Bhatt opens the poem with a powerful metaphor expressing linguistic and cultural loss under colonial influence. The line marks the speaker’s alienation in a foreign environment where her native Gujarati language fades. It highlights the psychological aftermath of colonial displacement and the struggle for cultural continuity.
2	🌸 “If you had two tongues in your mouth, and lost the first one, the mother tongue.”	Postcolonial / Structuralist: This vivid image of “two tongues” symbolizes bilingualism and hybrid identity. The structural opposition between “mother” and “foreign” tongues reflects postcolonial hybridity—an ongoing tension between inherited and imposed identities.
3	🌸 “You could not use them both together even if you thought that way.”	Structuralist / Psychoanalytic: Bhatt reveals the internal conflict of linguistic duality—two systems of thought that cannot coexist. This tension mirrors the fractured psyche of the immigrant who feels suspended between two cultural codes.
4	🌸 “Your mother tongue would rot, rot and die in your mouth.”	Postcolonial / Psychoanalytic: The repetition of “rot” evokes both decay and repression. This represents the death of one’s cultural self when forced to assimilate into a dominant linguistic system, showing the trauma of colonization internalized by the speaker.
5	🌸 “I thought I spit it out.”	Psychoanalytic / Feminist: The act of “spitting out” the mother tongue symbolizes both rejection and self-defense. Psychologically, it reflects repression of identity to survive in a foreign society, while from a feminist angle, it signifies the silencing of women’s native voices under dominant power structures.
6	🌸 “But overnight while I dream, it grows back, a stump of a shoot.”	Psychoanalytic / Postcolonial: The dream sequence marks the unconscious revival of the suppressed mother tongue. The imagery of natural growth aligns with psychoanalytic notions of repressed identity resurfacing, as well as postcolonial resilience against cultural erasure.
7	🌸 “Grows longer, grows moist, grows strong veins.”	Feminist / Psychoanalytic: This sensual, bodily imagery conveys rebirth and vitality. The poem reclaims the physical and emotional power of language as part of the female self, representing healing through self-expression and reconnection with one’s origins.
8	🌸 “The bud opens, the bud opens in my mouth.”	Feminist / Symbolist: The blooming bud evokes imagery of renewal, fertility, and liberation. From a feminist lens, it represents reclaiming one’s silenced voice, while symbolically it conveys the rebirth of identity and creative power through speech.
9	🌸 “It pushes the other tongue aside.”	Postcolonial / Structuralist: This line captures the reclaiming of linguistic dominance as the native tongue resurfaces. The act of “pushing aside” the foreign tongue reverses colonial hierarchies, asserting indigenous linguistic power over imposed structures.
10	🌸 “Everytime I think I’ve forgotten, I think I’ve lost the mother tongue, it blossoms out of my mouth.”	Postcolonial / Feminist / Psychoanalytic: The poem concludes in triumph. The “blossoming” of the mother tongue symbolizes renewal and resistance against erasure. It combines postcolonial self-recovery, feminist empowerment through voice, and psychoanalytic rebirth of the repressed self.