This poem, Discourse on the Logic of Language by M. NourbeSe Philip seems to be about slavery. Philip mentions multiple time the lack of mother tongue that they have in the US and they are forced to speak English which is their father tongue.  Think that the father tongue shows the oppression they received and how they were forced into the US. You can also see that she choose the “Father tongue” as English because men in those times are also superior. Also I found this poem a bit confusing and annoying at first. I actually had to listen to it a few times. I think that the choice of words that were chosen were to suggest the lack of communications and lack of education slaves went through.

I recall that in the Frederick Douglas’s Narrative that slaves were no allowed to speak in their own language. So it really connects to the poem. Slaves were not allowed to speak their native language therefor they didn’t have a mother tong or eventually lost their mother tongue. And was forced to speak English, father tongue that was forced upon them. Another similarity I found was that often in slavery, children were separated from their mothers so they will lose their mother tongue. They were probably separated and not allowed to speak their mother tongue because the slave owners didn’t want them to start to rebel or plan against them. They cut their best way in communication to continue to oppress them and keep them as slaves.

Sandy