My Mothers Kitchen

Question 1

Who is the poet?

Answer 1

Choman Hardi

Question 2

When was it written?

Answer 2

2004

Question 3

Context:

Answer 3

‘My Mothers Kitchen’ was written in 2004, after the end of the Iraq war

Question 4

Poet’s life:

Answer 4

• After several stages of forced displacement, she was granted refugee status in England in 1993
• After the Iraq war, Hardi’s parents decided to return back home after years of being away

Question 5

Language, form and structure:

Answer 5

• 3 different stanza lengths
• No set rhyme scheme
• Different stanza lengths could reflect unstable nature of her mother’s life
• Structure goes against strict conformity of traditional poetry, could represent break and disconnect that Hardi’s mother feels for her homeland

Question 6

Juxtaposition:

Answer 6

• Juxtaposition between ‘escape’ and ‘home’ implies that the concept of home is not a fixed idea for her mother- shows disconnection

Question 7

Enjambment:

Answer 7

• Enjambment creates ideas of growth, representing her mother’s vine growing

Question 8

Symbolism:

Answer 8

A vine is used as a symbol for how her Mother’s home country flourished and thrived before war

Symbolic not only of life and beauty but of time and durability- they remain unchanged which opposes the erratic lives of those who were forced to flee their homes

Question 9

Usage of full stops:

Answer 9

• Could symbolise all the times her Mother had to move
• They depict a detached manner due to her displacement
• Makes readers aware of her continuous movement whilst reading, because you, like her mother, are forced to stop, move onto the next sentence, and start again

Question 10

Personification:

Answer 10

Her kitchen items are personified, creating a sense of connection to each one due the human qualities they possess- tall, short, ugly
Generates a nostalgic tone

Question 11

Techniques used:

Answer 11

Enjambment
Symbolism
Usage of full stops
juxtaposition
Personification

Question 12

Themes:

Answer 12

• New beginnings
• Belonging
• Relationships
• Displacement

Question 13

Poems for comparison:

Answer 13

Island Man
The Emigree
We Refugees
Jamaican British

Question 14

Quotes:

Answer 14

’ her vine in the front garden / which spread’

‘her glasses, some tall and lean’

‘my mother is planning another escape / for the first time home is her destination’

‘an ugly collection from various sets’