Blessing

Question 1

Context

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

Themes

Answer 2

1. Poverty and inequality
   - the children live in a slum and get excited about a simple burst pipe
2. Preciousness of water
   - water is life-giving and rare - a true ‘blessing’
3. Joy and hope in suffering
   - despite hardship, there is a sudden sense of community an celebration
4. Religion and spirituality
   - water is compared to a blessing from a God - holy, miraculous event

Question 3

Structure and form

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

Language and imagery

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

Tone and mood

Answer 5

• beginning: desperate, dry and painful
• middle: sudden eruption - dramatic, exciting
• end: joyful, hopeful - but with an underlying awareness that the blessing is brief

Question 6

Messages

Answer 6

• 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