Dis Poem -

: "Dis Poem" is a prime example of dub poetry, which prioritizes orality over traditional European literary rules. It uses Jamaican Patois, lacks standard punctuation, and is meant to be performed to a reggae-inspired beat.

: It invokes a pantheon of revolutionary figures, including Malcolm X , Marcus Garvey , Patrice Lumumba , Jomo Kenyatta , and Haile Selassie .

Rather than telling a linear story about characters, "Dis Poem" tells the story of . Dis Poem

: It rebels against man-made divisions like "First," "Second," and "Third World" and expresses outrage against apartheid , racism , fascism , and the Ku Klux Klan .

: The poem claims to be "copied from" diverse sources—the Bible, prayer books, the New York Times, and even CIA/KGB files—to show its relevance to all facets of human life and surveillance. : "Dis Poem" is a prime example of

: The poem describes itself as "knives, bombs, guns, blood, fire blazing for freedom" and likens its rhythm to a drum or a shanty. Themes and Style

Watch Mutabaruka deliver his iconic, high-energy performance of 'Dis Poem' on HBO's Def Poetry Jam: Def Poetry: Mutabaruka- Dis Poem (Official Video) Poetical Tv YouTube• Mar 16, 2010 MUTABARUKA | DIS POEM Rather than telling a linear story about characters,

: Mutabaruka explicitly states that "dis poem is still not written" because it is a part of an ongoing, untold story that continues in the listener's mind.