Blessing Flashcards
1
Q
Context
A
- written by Imtiaz Dharker
- set in the urban slums in India
- many people in developing countries lack liable access to clean water - a basic human right. The poem highlights both poverty and the beauty found in small joys
2
Q
Themes
A
- Poverty and inequality
- the children live in a slum and get excited about a simple burst pipe - Preciousness of water
- water is life-giving and rare - a true ‘blessing’ - Joy and hope in suffering
- despite hardship, there is a sudden sense of community an celebration - Religion and spirituality
- water is compared to a blessing from a God - holy, miraculous event
3
Q
Structure and form
A
- free verse: reflects the natural, chaotic movement of water and life in the slums
- irregular stanzas: build tension towards the climactic bursting of the pipe
- short first line: ‘skin cracks like a pod’ - sudden stark image - immediately suggests pain, drought and dryness
- enjambment: allows fluidity - mirror the movement of water
- onomatopoeia and sound devices: ‘drip’, ‘splash’, ‘crashes’ - help the reader hear the moment
4
Q
Language and imagery
A
- simile: ‘the skin cracks like a pod’ - evokes cracked skin from dehydration and heat
- religious imagery: ‘blessing’, ‘kindly God’ - elevates water to a divine status
- sensory language: ‘polished to perfection’ - visual, auditory, and tactile effects bring the scene to life
- juxtaposition: harsh reality of poverty vs joyful outburst when water comes
- metaphor: ‘silver crashes to the ground’ - water as treasure, wealth
- lists: ‘with pots, brass, copper, aluminium’ - emphasises the desperation and diversity of people needing water
5
Q
Tone and mood
A
- beginning: desperate, dry and painful
- middle: sudden eruption - dramatic, exciting
- end: joyful, hopeful - but with an underlying awareness that the blessing is brief
6
Q
Messages
A
- water should be a basic right, but in some places its rare and treasured
- injustice and poverty are tackled subtly - the joy is real, but its based on desperation
- the poem criticises global inequality and challenges privileged readers to reflect
- hopes is present - joy, community, and celebration shine through - even in difficulty