Stereotyping
It is not an unusual occurrence that people form their opinions about something based on a few, usually not their own, experiences with the subject they form their opinions own. The result is usually a stereotypical, biased view which further creates distance and alienation from the subject rather than bringing them closer to it. This is the case with this poem as well. The speaker of the poem, poet, is frustrated with the addressee of her poem, that being the Welsh critic, who believes he knows her based on her skin color, on the state of the country she's from.
Language
Language is typically considered to be a tool that brings people closer together. In the case of this poem language has an opposite effect as it is used to criticize the person based on their pronunciation and selection of the words thus putting the message they are trying to bring forth into the background. The repetition of questioning phrases "How much" and "How I say" in the fourth stanza of the poem showcases the uncertainty that this type of criticism evokes.
Identity
The underlying theme of this poem is that of cultural identity. The poet raises the question of how should she behave in order for the Welsh critic to find her being a representation of her Indian culture. This is, of course, brought forth in a cynical tone with usage of stereotypical cultural images and terms in order to criticize this belief that to be identified with a certain culture one needs to have all the check marks for what is stereotypically associated with that culture.
