Living space Flashcards
poet
imtiaz dharker
date
1994
3 quotes
- beams/balanced crookedly on supports/thrust off the vertical./nails clutch at open seams
- and even dared to place/these eggs in a wire basket
- over the dark edge/of a slanted universe,/gathering light/into themselves,/as if they were/the bright, thin walls of faith
context
- born in Pakistan but now lives in Britain and India
- describes a typical slum in Mumbai
- she is a film director and makes documentaries so has an intimate knowledge of Mumbai
title
- deliberately not called a home
- irony as the conditions are cramped and there is a distinct lack of space
form
looks disjointed on the page with lines sticking out and others short and broken, just like the building it describes
beams/balanced crookedly on supports/thrust off the vertical./nails clutch at open seams
balance, thrust, clutch -> language of disorder emphasises the instability and creates a sense of movement
supports -> highlights the lack of it from the government and charities
clutch -> personify its desperation to stay upright, shows determination and strength
- could perhaps draw similarities to sweat shops
- caesuras throughout 1st stanza demonstrate of loosely connect the parts are
- enjambment portrays their messy life
- metaphor for how close their life is to falling apart
beams/balanced crookedly on supports/thrust off the vertical./nails clutch at open seams
topic sentence
uses a hostile setting to portray their fragile place in society
- and even dared to place/these eggs in a wire basket
topic sentence
praises their ability to thrive in this place as an expression of the miraculousness of human nature
- over the dark edge/of a slanted universe,/gathering light/into themselves,/as if they were/the bright, thin walls of faith
topic sentence
conveys their belief that their current sense of place is temporary through their hope for a better life
