Poetic devices

Repetition

The poem “Colonization in Reverse” by Louise Bennett-Coverley uses repetition to highlight certain ideas, such as in the second stanza:

By de hundred, by de tousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane-load
Jamaica is Englan boun. (ll. 5-9)

Here, the repetition of the words “by de”, “from”, and the suffix “-load” helps to highlight the extent of the mass migration that is taking place from Jamaica to England. 

Another example of repetition can be found in the seventh stanza: 

Oonoo see how life is funny
Oonoo see de tunabout? (ll. 25-26)

The repetition helps to bring attention to the irony of the situation which the reader points out. 

Alliteration and internal rhyme

The poem also includes several examples of alliteration, such as in the line “Jus a pack dem bag an baggage” (l. 15). In this example, the repetition of the letter “g” gives the impression of heaviness which fits with the idea of heavy “baggage” that the line presents. The alliteration also help...