Colonization In Reverse

(1966) -
Wat a joyful news, miss Mattie,
I feel like me heart gwine burs
Jamaica people colonizin
Englan in reverse.
By de hundred, by de tousan
From country and from town,
By de ship-load, by de plane-load
Jamaica is Englan boun.
Dem a pour out a Jamaica
Everybody future plan
Is fe get a big-time job
An settle in de mother lan.
What a islan! What a people!
Man an woman, old an young
Jus a pack dem bag an baggage
An tun history upside dung!
Some people doan like travel,
But fe show dem loyalty
Dem all a open up cheap-fare-
To-Englan agency.

An week by week dem shippin off Dem countryman like fire, Fe immigrate an populate De
seat a de Empire.

Oonoo see how life is funny, Oonoo see de tunabout? Jamaica live fe box bread Out a
English people mout'.

For wen dem ketch a Englan, An start play dem different role, Some will settle down to work
An some will settle fe de dole.

Jane say de dole is not too bad Because dey payin she Two pounds a week fe seek a job
Dat suit her dignity.

Me say Jane will never fine work At de rate how she dah look, For all day she stay pon Aunt
Fan couch An read love-story book,

Wat a devilment a Englant Dem face war an brave de worse, But me wonderin how dem
gwine stan Colonizin in reverse.

Louise Bennett-Coverley
1919 - 2006
Colonization in Reverse" is one of the most famous poems by the pioneering Jamaican poet
and folklorist Louise Bennett Coverley (often affectionately known as "Miss Lou").

The historical context

 The mass migration of Caribbean people, particularly Jamaicans, to the United Kingdom
(UK) in the years following World War II.
The Windrush Generation Era (Post-1948)
The poem is a direct reflection of the period known as the Windrush era.
* The British Nationality Act of 1948: This act granted all citizens of the British colonies (the
Commonwealth) the right to live and work in the UK. They were considered citizens of the
UK and Colonies.
* Post-War Labour Shortage in Britain: After World War II, Britain faced significant labour
shortages needed to rebuild the country and staff key sectors like the National Health
Service (NHS) and public transport. The government actively sought workers from the
Commonwealth.
* Economic Drivers in Jamaica: At the same time, countries like Jamaica faced problems
with high unemployment and limited economic opportunities. This disparity created a strong
incentive for people to travel to the "Mother Country" seeking a better life, as described in
the poem: "Everybody future plan. Is fe get a big-time job. An settle in de mother lan."
* The Empire Windrush: The arrival of the ship MV Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks on
June 22, 1948, carrying hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean, became a symbolic
landmark for the beginning of this mass migration.
Louise Bennett Coverley's Commentary
Miss Lou's poem, written in 1966, four years after Jamaica achieved independence, uses
this migration as a vehicle for powerful social and political commentary:
* Reverse Colonization: The title and central theme are an ironic inversion of history. It flips
the script of the British colonizing Jamaica by suggesting that Jamaicans are now "colonizin
Englan in Reverse," bringing their culture, language, and people back to the imperial center.
This is a satirical critique of the former colonial power.
* Cultural Validation: By writing the poem entirely in Jamaican Patois (Creole), Bennett
made a significant political statement. She celebrated and validated the language of the
common Jamaican person, implicitly elevating it to a literary status and pushing back against
the colonial-era dismissal of Patois as mere "broken English."
* The Reality of Migration: While celebrating the ambition of the migrants, the poem is also a
realistic, humorous reflection on the challenges, including the possibility of unemployment
("settle fe de dole") and the fact that the migrants were not arriving as rulers, but as
labourers and citizens who would face racial discrimination and a cold, damp climate.
The poem encapsulates the complex, ironic, and often difficult relationship between the
former colony and the mother country during the dawn of the post-colonial era.

Analysis

Louise Bennett Coverley's poem is a masterful work of social satire and post-colonial
critique, using humor and the authentic voice of the Jamaican people to invert the power
dynamics of the British Empire.
1. The Central Irony: Flipping History Upside Down
The poem's main satirical device is the phrase "colonizin' Englan in Reverse," which
functions as a complex commentary on global power structures.
* Inversion of Power: Historically, colonization meant the British going to Jamaica to exploit
resources, impose their culture, and rule. The poem describes Jamaicans traveling to Britain
in "ship-load, by de plane-load," an ironic reversal of the colonial movement. The line, "Jus a
pack dem bag an baggage / An turn history upside dung!" celebrates this migration as a form
of poetic justice.
* Reclaiming the "Mother Lan": The migrants travel to the "mother lan" (a term often taught
in colonial schools to describe Britain) with the intent of settling. Bennett wryly suggests that
by settling in and populating the "seat a de Empire," the Jamaicans are effectively taking
over the heart of the power that once dominated them.
* Cultural Invasion: This is not a military invasion, but a cultural invasion. The Jamaicans
bring their food, music, mannerisms, and language (Patois), changing the host country's
social landscape and decolonizing Britain from within.
2. Language and Voice: The Power of Patois
The poem's power is inseparable from its language—Jamaican Patois (Creole). This choice
is a significant political act:
* Literary Validation: In the colonial hierarchy, Patois was dismissed as a corrupted or
"broken" form of English. By writing literature—and critiquing the Empire—in Patois, Bennett
elevates it to a legitimate, sophisticated literary language. This asserts cultural sovereignty
and pride.
* Authentic Persona: The poem adopts the voice of a conversational, working-class
Jamaican woman (speaking to an implied listener, "Miss Mattie"). This allows the critique to
be delivered through a voice of common sense and community experience, making the
political message accessible and relatable.
* Wit and Humor: Patois is naturally infused with sharp wit and rhythmic energy. Phrases
like, "I feel like me heart gwine burs'" (I feel like my heart is going to burst) convey the
overwhelming excitement and pride of the community, while the rhythm of the language
propels the celebratory, yet questioning, tone.
3. Satire and Socio-Economic Critique
Bennett uses light-hearted language to deliver pointed social commentary about the realities
faced by the Windrush Generation:
* Economic Aspiration vs. Reality: The core motivation is economic: "Is fe get a big-time
job." However, the poem quickly contrasts this aspiration with the reality of unemployment
and reliance on the welfare system:
> "For wen dem ketch a Englan, an start play dem different role, / Some will settle down to
work / An some will settle fe de dole."
>
* Critique of Colonial Hierarchy: The character Jane, who settles "fe de dole," refuses to
take a degrading job that doesn't "suit her dignity." This is a subtle but potent critique. Jane is
reclaiming agency; having been exploited by the colonial system for low-wage labour in
Jamaica, she resists accepting the same indignity in the "Mother Land."
* The Final Warning: The poem concludes with a rhetorical question that carries a profound
punch:
> "Wat a devilment a Englan! / Dem face war an brave de worse, / But me wonderin how
dem gwine stan / Colonizin in reverse."
>
This suggests that while Britain could withstand wars and manage its global empire (the
"worse"), it may not be able to handle this cultural and demographic "invasion." It highlights
the shock and resistance the migrants faced from the white British population, subtly asking
whether the colonizer could handle being the colonized, even in this benign, metaphorical
sense.