Tissue Flashcards
What is the form of the poem?
Allegory
What is the effect of the form?
Hidden meaning of revealing the transience of life. Can cause the reader to let go of a materialistic life to focus on the people around them and God.
What is the structure?
Quatrains
What is the effect of the structure?
Provides a consistent structure to show how restrictive human power / control can be.
The final line is a single line, standing out from the rest of the poem, to emphasise the meaning and isolate it from the rest of the poem, to show the need to break free from the control of human power.
What is the effect of free verse?
The regular stanza length is undermined by the usage of free verse and enjambment to show that freedom can be found even in a restrictive institution.
What is the effect of enjambment?
The enjambment unifies lines to show her view that humans should become united. The combined effect of free verse and enjambment shows that humanity is not in control as much as they would like.
What is the extended metaphor?
Tissue paper used to liken surrounding objects to human life.
What is the effect of the extended metaphor?
“Maps too” shows how a person can be like a map with many different countries and cultures contained within them. Whilst the Koran is paper it is also a collection of lives, the power comes from this, not from the fact it’s paper.
What is the effect of light?
Symbol of light is a recurring theme throughout. “Paper that lets the light shine through”. Light is used as a symbol of truth and enlightenment to show how the world should be viewed.
What is human power portrayed as?
Week and feeble with the metaphor of buildings being able to “fall away on a sigh” implying that buildings should be able to change and adapt easily. Buildings are symbols of permanence that should be abolished. Dharker explicitly states that society should be more transparent, emphasised by the alliterative consonants in “turned transparent”.
Symbolism in “Koran”, “borderlines”, “capitals and monoliths” all demonstrate the symbols of human power as causes of division amongst people.
Good quotes?
“let the daylight break // through capitals and monoliths”
“might fly our lives like paper kites”
“pages smoothed and stroked and turned // transparent with attention”
Analysis of “let the daylight break // through capitals and monoliths”
Metaphor demonstrates the overwhelming power of daylight, as something people cannot control.
Analysis of “might fly our lives like paper kites”
Metaphor criticises the emphasis and significance humanity places on money.
Comparisons?
London
Comparison between Tissue and London?
Human power is presented as a source of oppression
Both are critical of material wealth
Blake’s poem accepts the cyclical nature of corruption, with no structural change in the poem at the end. Dharker changes the structure at the end from quatrains to a single line stanza.
