Living Space

Question 1

“Living Space”

Answer 1

The title is ironic as there isn’t much space to live in the slums

Question 2

“Straight lines”

Answer 2

The lack of straight lines suggest the buildings are insecure which is a metaphor for how life in the slums are insecure

Question 3

“Nothing is flat”

Answer 3

Metaphor which shows how it is not equal between rich and poor

Question 4

“Balanced crookedly”

Answer 4

The adverb “crookedly” shows the risk for living in slums as it could collapse at any moment

Question 5

“Towards the miraculous”

Answer 5

The word “miraculous” shows survival in the slums is a miracle

Question 6

“Someone has squeezed”

Answer 6

The verb “squeezed” shows the overcrowding of people living here

Question 7

“Eggs in a wire basket”

Answer 7

Eggs represent new life yet the vulnerability as they can easily break

Question 8

“Fragile curves of white hung over the dark edge”

Answer 8

The contrast of “dark” and “white” shows beauty can exist within ugly places

Question 9

“Slanted universe”

Answer 9

Metaphor for society because it is not equal between the rich and the poor so society remains unbalanced

Question 10

“Bright, thin walls of faith”

Answer 10

The poet admires the optimism society has which is protecting them from the difficult conditions

Question 11

Author Context

Answer 11

Imatiaz Dharker
Culturally diverse background: raised in Scotland by her Pakistani parents, attended a Calvinist school as a Muslim and now lives in London with her Indian Hindu husband

Question 12

Living Space Content1

Answer 12

Universal quality- within the poem it does not mention where the setting is this gives the effect to the reader that it can happen anywhere

Question 13

Living Space Content2

Answer 13

Set in Mumbai in a shanti town exploring the slums. Surrounding the slums is the rich and the poor lives in the slums.
Most of the poor came from other backgrounds to escape their lives and reach the dream of being rich

Question 14

Structure1

Answer 14

Split into three stanzas 22 lines

The lines are a mix of short and long to represent how the slums look like

Question 15

Structure2

Answer 15

First Stanza- about the buildings (Slums) in Mumbai “The whole structure leans dangerously”
Second stanza- the people who live there in the slums “Someone has squeezed in a living space”
Third Stanza- Explaining that people in the slums still have their hope even in the bad living conditions
“Bright, thin walls of faith”

Question 16

Techniques

Answer 16

Enjambment device- “The whole structure leans dangerously” the technique enjambment gives an effect in a literal sense as the buildings “lean dangerously” the building is stretched out. This is represented in the structure as it is the longest line in the poem it stretches out.