As English is the official language, most Jamaican literature is written in English. One of its most known writers is Claude McKay.
McKay is influenced by the fight for human rights and the Black People liberation, with strong poems flirting with the communism, although McKay himself never made of any party. One of his most emblematic poem is "If We Must Die":
If We Must Die
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
LINKS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_McKay
http://www.poemhunter.com/claude-mckay/poems/
McKay was one of the first authors to open space to Jamaican Literature. Other came such as Thomas MacDermott who edited Becka's Bukra Baby, a literary magazine with lower prices in order to support national writers.
Lately, the patois written forms are being produced in literature such as in the collection of poems Inna Mi Heart:
READY FI LOVE YUH
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
Mi no come offa no high table
Mi no have no university degree
Mi no boasy and pretentious bout life
But what yuh see is me
But yuh see mi … mi check fi yuh
Mi no have no university degree
Mi no boasy and pretentious bout life
But what yuh see is me
But yuh see mi … mi check fi yuh
Mi kyaan carry yuh go a no expensive spot
Mi kyaan stomach fancy food
Mi kyaan tek yuh hypocrite kin teet friend dem
But wah mi can do is treat yuh good
An yuh see mi … mi will love yuh right
Mi kyaan stomach fancy food
Mi kyaan tek yuh hypocrite kin teet friend dem
But wah mi can do is treat yuh good
An yuh see mi … mi will love yuh right
Unlike mi, yuh have gold spoon inna yuh mout
Yuh no short a nothing
But from wah mi see, yuh look like yuh coulda do
Wid a lickle loving
So see mi yah … ready fi kill yuh wid love
Yuh no short a nothing
But from wah mi see, yuh look like yuh coulda do
Wid a lickle loving
So see mi yah … ready fi kill yuh wid love
YUH MI WAAN FI DEH WID
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
Even if yuh put on fifty pound
Even if yuh sick an mawga down
Even if yuh bleach di black fi fayva brown
A yuh mi waan fi deh wid
Even if yuh sick an mawga down
Even if yuh bleach di black fi fayva brown
A yuh mi waan fi deh wid
Even if yuh foot shape like afoo yam
An yuh hand look like song of di banana man
Even if yuh claim rasta but a quietly lick di ham
A yuh mi waan fid eh wid
An yuh hand look like song of di banana man
Even if yuh claim rasta but a quietly lick di ham
A yuh mi waan fid eh wid
So even doah yuh behaving like a clown
An yuh name a call all over town
A yuh mi still waan fi be around
A yuh mi waan fi deh wid
An yuh name a call all over town
A yuh mi still waan fi be around
A yuh mi waan fi deh wid
NO ROSES NO POSES
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
Fi di whole year yuh treat mi floops
Den braps, mi get red roses
Yuh think say chocolate an wine can compensate
Mi no waan no valentine poses
Den braps, mi get red roses
Yuh think say chocolate an wine can compensate
Mi no waan no valentine poses
Mi no waan no dinner a no fancy restaurant
Keep yuh red an white teddy bear
Unless yuh a go love an treat mi good
Every day of di year
Keep yuh red an white teddy bear
Unless yuh a go love an treat mi good
Every day of di year
Love a one full time wuck, more dan nine to five
A no just di one day poses
So if mi kyaan get consistent love from yuh
Keep yuh wine an roses
A no just di one day poses
So if mi kyaan get consistent love from yuh
Keep yuh wine an roses
THUG NO SHOW LOVE
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
Baby mi love yuh and yuh done well and know
But a guy can’t too meck him feelings show
Yuh feel mi love and dat suppose to enough
But man a man and man haffie flex tough
So no expect mi fi come wid no lovey dovey love
Cause man a thug, an thug no show love
But a guy can’t too meck him feelings show
Yuh feel mi love and dat suppose to enough
But man a man and man haffie flex tough
So no expect mi fi come wid no lovey dovey love
Cause man a thug, an thug no show love
Mi will tidy house an help yuh wash plate
Change baby diaper, iron cook an bake
Wash yuh hair an massage yuh body all night long
Hug up an dance like grandpa when mi hear love song
But outa street mi no eena di smoochie smoochie love
For man a thug, an thug no show love
Change baby diaper, iron cook an bake
Wash yuh hair an massage yuh body all night long
Hug up an dance like grandpa when mi hear love song
But outa street mi no eena di smoochie smoochie love
For man a thug, an thug no show love
Most people no know say mi have a romantic side
Mi will give yuh sweet an tender loving till yuh clide
At home mi will bow, cause yuh control di remote
An mi ready fi go front a parson go teck oath
But John Public no haffie know bout mi romantic love
For man a thug … an thug no show love
Mi will give yuh sweet an tender loving till yuh clide
At home mi will bow, cause yuh control di remote
An mi ready fi go front a parson go teck oath
But John Public no haffie know bout mi romantic love
For man a thug … an thug no show love
KIDNAP
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
Dem say kidnapper and thief a criminal
An criminal go to jail
But mi think if one day mi kidnap yuh
Love an passion gwine prevail
An criminal go to jail
But mi think if one day mi kidnap yuh
Love an passion gwine prevail
When mi thief yuh way, yuh mighta fight at first
But when mi ketch yuh in di sack
An show yuh how good loving go
Yuh nah go waan go back
But when mi ketch yuh in di sack
An show yuh how good loving go
Yuh nah go waan go back
Yuh a go waan mi an beg mi no fi stop
An heng on pon mi tight
Yuh a go waan lay down inna mi bed
From night until daylight
An heng on pon mi tight
Yuh a go waan lay down inna mi bed
From night until daylight
When mi finally release yuh mi already know
Di note yuh a go send
‘Why yuh tecking sooo long
Fi kidnap mi again?”
Di note yuh a go send
‘Why yuh tecking sooo long
Fi kidnap mi again?”
GI MI DI BLIGH
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
- by Joan Andrea Hutchinson ©2007
A long time mi a watch yuh, but mi don’t know
What fi say or how fi do
So slow down lickle an gi mi a chance
Meck mi chat to yuh
What fi say or how fi do
So slow down lickle an gi mi a chance
Meck mi chat to yuh
Mi nuh have no bag a lyrics fi fling down
Mi clueless bout romance
But wah mi really waan fi say to yuh is
Just gi mi a chance
Mi clueless bout romance
But wah mi really waan fi say to yuh is
Just gi mi a chance
A chance fi ‘deh’ an create union
Fi fill yuh life wid happiness
Fi love yuh an treat yuh like royalty
Yuh deserve di very best
Fi fill yuh life wid happiness
Fi love yuh an treat yuh like royalty
Yuh deserve di very best
Mi a go show yuh things yuh never know
Believe mi, mi nah stop try
So if yuh ready fi a bonify ol fashion love
Do … gi mi di bligh
Believe mi, mi nah stop try
So if yuh ready fi a bonify ol fashion love
Do … gi mi di bligh
Also in music we have a great influence od the Patois, such as in Bob Marley's Trenchtown Rock:
You grooving Kingston 12, grooving, Kingston 12
Grooving woe, woe, it's Kingston 12
Grooving it's Kingston 12
No want you fe galang so,
No want you fe galang so
You want come cold I up
But you can't come cold I up
Cause I'm grooving, yes I'm grooving
Grooving woe, woe, it's Kingston 12
Grooving it's Kingston 12
No want you fe galang so,
No want you fe galang so
You want come cold I up
But you can't come cold I up
Cause I'm grooving, yes I'm grooving
OUTROS LINKS: http://www.jamaicanliterature.com/
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