Blessing - Imtiaz Dharker Flashcards
1
Q
Themes? (3)
A
Poverty, culture, life
2
Q
Tones? (3)
A
Resolute, melancholic,
excited
3
Q
Context? (3)
A
- Imtiaz Dharker, an English poet
moved to Bombay, a city in India. - In her poem she explores how
water is a blessing to those who
lived there. - This is because during
the dry season, the temperature
can reach 40 degrees.
4
Q
Meaning and purpose? (2)
A
- Blessing’ is a poem with four stanzas that highlights the “blessing” of water in people’s lives.
- To highlight the importance of water; to highlight the issue of poverty
5
Q
Language? (5)
A
- Imperatives- “imagine…” the imperative verbs and use of onomatopoeia on “drip” and “splash: help to convey the scarcity of this much sought after commodity.
- Metaphor “the voice of a kindly God”
conveys how water is so important, so rare that when it arrives, it is seen as a divine blessing. - Imagery- to convey the thrill of the water leak and to establish a link with the poem’s title. The water is described as “the sudden rush of fortune” and as “silver”- both images create a sense of great value and worth on a materialistic scale. In the next stanza, the “congregation” worshipping around the pipe are treated to the image of water as
“liquid sun”- this metaphor puts water on the same level as the sun as a life-giver - Euphemism- “their highlights polished…” allows their stark thinness to be seen in a positive light and thus confirms the sense of wonder found elsewhere.
- Sensory language: “roar of tongues” to suggest the aggression and urgency.
6
Q
Form? (3)
A
- Enjambment conveys the tumult
and “frantic” atmosphere - Asyndetic list “pots, brass, copper,
aluminium…” emphasises the
poverty of the people - End Stopped declarative in the
opening stanza- resolute tone of
certainty – present tense to
suggest how it is a present
ongoing issue.
7
Q
Structure? (1)
A
- Free verse: enables Dharker to
organise the poem around ideas
with a freedom to draw attention to
specific words or phrases without
consideration of rhyme.
