tissue

Question 1

what is the poem about (4)

Answer 1

1 paper is important has the power to change things despite its fragility
2 paper is used in religious texts and to record family history but it wears thin over time, highlighting it being fragile but controlling our lives
3 other items which are key aspects of civilisation are made of paper eg maps
4 the speaker suggests that lives could be constructed out of paper With living tissue connection to human skin
5 paper is powerful in the world because of the ways it can be used
6 uses paper as a metaphor for life it is temporary Thinned by age or touching suggests tht all life eventually comes to an end

Question 2

what form does the poem take (2)

Answer 2

1 dramatic monologue from the point of view of someone looking at the troubles of the modern world - neutral viewpoint
2 free verse (no regular rhyme scheme) gives the poem freedom and openness
3 reflecting the narrators desire for freedom

Question 3

what is the structure

Answer 3

1 enjambment creates a sense of freedom and undermines mans power
2 short stanzas are like a build up of layers, just like human life
3 1st part - ideas about history
2nd part - ideas about human experience
3rd part - creation of human life
final part focuses reader on their own identity and how it is created

Question 4

key context

Answer 4

1 from 2006 collection - the terrorists at my table which questions how well we know the people around us
2 Dharker was born in Pakistan but moved to Glasgow
3 Dharker describes herself as a Scotish muslim

Question 5

poets message

Answer 5

1 Life is more precious than things we create
2 nothing is meant to last
3 people give power to things that do not deserve it
4 nature is not permeant

Question 6

key quotations

Answer 6

1 might fly our lives like paper kites - the simile shows people are controlled by things - in this case money
turned into your skin
2 lets the light shine through - verb shines implies strong burst of light which illuminates or brings understanding
3 pages smoothed stroked and turned transparent with attention - verbs smoothed and stroked are gentle and show humans have treated the paper with care
4 a structure never meant to last - humans like paper are fragile and will eventually die

Question 7

which poem compares and why

Answer 7

checking out me history
1 both poems present human identity as being formed through cultural history.
2 in checking out me history the speakers repetition of dem tell me shows he is angry at those who have shaped his identity without reference to his cultural history.
3 His upset reflects the idea that culture is an integral part of human identity
4 similarly tissue the poet suggests heritage is key to forming human identity as paper is used to record peoples names and histories. The pages being smoothed and stroked reflects the importance of family history and heritage in regards to forming human identity
5 checking out me history uses first person narrator who gives a passionate subjective account of his cultural identity without interference from others who have previously neglected it.
6 in contrast tissue has a more thoughtful tone allowing the focus to be on the ideas and not the speaker.