Tissue Flashcards
Context
The poem questions how well we understand ourselves and the fragility of humanity
tissues if from her poetry collection called the terrorist at my table- poems relate to relate to religion , terrorism and global politics
What is the poem about?
extended metaphor
she considers how paper alters things
real life references maps, recipes connected to important aspects of life journey and money-shows how fragile paper is
What is the structure of the poem
unrhymed irregular quatrains-irregularity of life and the flimsy nature of the tissue paper the poem reflects
What does that one stanza line represent at the end?
emphasizes the connection between paper and skin showing the significance of human life.
What effect does free verse and enjambement have on the poem?
FREE VERSE-rhyme is unsteady to mirror the fluttering of tissues
ENJAMBAMENT-flowing and shows the delicacy of nature-both of paper and human lives the poet compares the tissue to
What does a writer symbolize in a dream?
someone who is pressured were writing has become her escape and a way of out depression
CONTEXT-at the time her partner was terminally ill maybe her partner was a burden on her and she wrote to get her feeling of depression out
What does the quote “paid by credit card might fly our lives like kites” mean?
simile
imagery of money controlling people
noun “kites”-something is difficult to control and fragile
materialism is presented here-are we obsessed with money in the modern world?
kite also has connotation of freedom and innocence
syntax credit card becomes before kites money corrupts innocence
What is the context for kite/
In china 549 AD kites were created to send messages during war and conflict-paper is essential
What does “maps” suggest?
noun-human skin and the marks and veins we gain over life
metaphorically it signifies the journey of life (birth certificate)
OR are maps something that constricts us
What does “never”suggest?
adverb absolute never going to happen human fragility emphasised here juxtaposes "last" irony that the building wall still last
Analyse “koran” and “grand design”
Paper is fragile tissue which has the power to alter and control our lives
tissues is used to record powerful and even sacred information
“Koran”-symbolic of culture and religion and also emphasising a major conflict in modern society and the perceived war on
Islam.
Grand design-Biblical reference, suggestive of the bigger picture and a sense of spiritual fulfilment. Suggests that we could be building things that improve our life, not hold us back.
refers two main religions showing how everyone is affected by paper
How does the poet show we can change our view?
if we let light through like tissues do we see things differently and we can be free to live “maps”(constrict us)
poet urges us to consider that things we think is permanent are not the only thing permanent is human tissue that is why it is placed at the end to empathizes this
Analyse “fine slips from grocery shops”
Metaphor the familiar and everyday image of
groceries represent larger scale socio
economics. Our reliance on money and
material wealth.
Analyse “they fall away on a sigh, a shift
in the direction of the wind”
Transient verbs, reflect movement and change.
Personified with ‘sigh’. Suggests it is a good thing that
they are could be changeable. They adjust ‘with the wind’ winds of change.
Analyse “make roads,railtracks,mountainfolds”
Listing, encompasses the man and nature made aspects of the world and how the ‘sun shines’
representing hope and how transparent these things become rather than the permanent object we see them to be.
