Living Space

Question 1

Key Quotes

Answer 1

Nails clutch to open seams
- Personification
- desperation to life/belongings

Fragile curves of white hung out of the dark edge
- White = positive and hopeful
- fragile - easy broken & vulnerable
- ‘Dark edge’ - hazardous and uncertain

Someone has squeezed a living space
- pressure for space
- ‘living space’ - not a real home, lacks comfort and softness

Question 2

Context on Poem

Answer 2

Imtiaz Dharker was born in Pakistan and raised in Scotland, with a mixed cultural heritage

Her work explores themes of home, displacement, faith, conflict, and freedom

Despite the poor conditions, she highlights the strong community spirit

Question 3

Summary of poem

Answer 3

The poem describes the slums of Mumbai

Stanza 1: Describes the poorly built, unstable buildings

Stanza 2: Reveals that despite the danger, people still live there with resilience

Stanza 3: A basket of eggs symbolizes fragility but also hope

Question 4

Form

Answer 4

Irregular form and varied stanza length: Reflects chaos and instability

No regular rhyme scheme: Reinforces unpredictability and lack of stability

Few rhyming words: Symbolize how the structure is barely held together, much like the homes in the poem

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

Short sentences: Reflect the lack of space and physical awkwardness

Irregularity of lines: Mirrors the way the buildings are precariously positioned

1. The instability of the buildings
2. A shift to optimism for the future

Enjambment: Represents things spilling over, much like the cramped living conditions

Question 6

Language

Answer 6

Eggs as a symbol:
Represent faith and new life

Verbs convey precariousness:
“Leans”, “balance” → Suggests instability and danger

Question 7

Mood

Answer 7

Sense of amazement: The speaker is in awe that people can live in such conditions

Detachment: The physical description is not overly emotional

Optimism: Despite hardship, there is hope and admiration for human resilience