Poem Analysis: Northern Light

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Poem Analysis
The poem under review in this paper is Northern Light, which Jillian Christmas composed. It uses a cultural setting and appeal to evoke an idealized image of two different cultures and socio-economic differences in the reader's mind. When focusing on the first stanza, we see Jillian arriving in Whitehorse, Northern Canada and she wants to feel home, just like in Tobago. There are a cultural shift and geographical difference in Whitehorse that compels her to say she wants to feel at home. In essence, life in Whitehorse is not as collaborative as in the Caribbean. While driving away from the airport, Chris assures her that Whitehorse can still feel at home. If she wants something that can cheer her up, then it's the Caribbean food from Tobago. The presence of Caribbean food in Whitehorse captures the theme of cultural diversity in the poem.
The second stanza is about the intense climate and the geographical difference between Whitehorse and the Caribbean. Jillian admits the people from the Caribbean are strange. She figuratively refers to them as creatures and treasures of the Caribbean Sea. The Caribbean is in stark contrast to Canada because of the weather. In Whitehorse, the weather is unbearable because visitors keep knocking their knees while clothed in parkas. By integration of the environment in the poem’s theme, the poet achieves ample comprehension by the reader. For example, the poet writes that ‘Where the thin trees stretch high the heavens to seek the queerest light (Christmas, lines 21-22).’ Thin trees and minimal sunlight are the defining features of the Whitehorse environment. The poet further attests to their relentless attitude (people of the Caribbean) to call Canada home. The luxuries environmental luxuries enjoyed in the Caribbean are unmatched. The poet also admits the hardworking nature of Canadian women who, unlike them, were resilient and worked hard to make a decent living and many opportunities for themselves in the cold. Here, Jillian attests to Canadian women's hardworking nature and independence, something that the Caribbean women can copy. All it takes is resilience and grit.
In the third stanza, Jillian touches on the sensitive issue of racial discrimination. She gives the example of the Alaska Highway, an engineering marvel constructed under the oppressive laws of Ji...