Creolized English as a Decolonial Tool: An Analysis of Dabydeen and L.K. Johnson’s Poems

Authors : Alican Albayrak

Pages : 1-26

Doi:10.46250/kulturder.1737781

View : 224 | Download : 215

Publication Date : 2025-12-10

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :David Dabydeen and Linton Kwesi Johnson’s poetry centers on the experiences of the oppressed communities and portrays systemic discrimination and violence against them. These poets proudly employ creole language in their poetry to resist cultural and linguistic imperialism, which eradicates cultures in order to serve the interests and profits of hegemonic powers. In this context, through a close reading of David Dabydeen’s and Linton Kwesi Johnson’s selected poems, this study examines how creolized English functions in their works, explores the embrace of native cultures and languages through Creole, and simultaneously analyzes the struggles faced by non-standard English speakers in the periphery and center. To conceptualize and articulate the destructive nature of English as a form of soft power imposed on Black people, this article mainly draws on the ideas of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o and Chinua Achebe. It highlights the impact of English as a neocolonial tool that leads to language-based discrimination and linguistic extinction.
Keywords : dilsel emperyalizm, dil temelli ırkçılık, dil katli, kreol, şiir

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