Tissue Flashcards
1
Q
Tissue - Brief summary
A
Tissue does not follow a narrative as such, rather it uses Tissue paper as an extended metaphor (conceit) for mankind’s power and Dharker explores how even something as fragile as Tissue has the power to leave a lasting mark. She also contrasts the fragility of humans with the staying power of nature, demonstrating how both have power in their own ways.
2
Q
Tissue - Context (4)
A
- Dharker was born in Pakistan but grew up in Glasgow. She describes herself as a “Scottish Muslim Calvinist” adopted into India and married into Wales.
- A lot of her poetry focuses on identity, perhaps stemming from her ability to balance her conflicting identities.
- Tissue is from a 2006 collection called “The terrorist at my table” which focuses on politics, terrorism and fundamentalism (literal interpretations of scripture). As the first poem in the collection, Tissue acts as a preface of sorts, commenting on what Dharker believes to be the root of these problems, abuse and misuse of power.
- Tissue’s pessimistic viewpoint on the fickleness of human life may stem from her heart-wrenching experience with her husband, who passed away after an 11 year long battle with cancer.
3
Q
“capitals and monoliths” “fly our lives like paper kites”
A
- By comparing human power to tissue, Dharker creates an effect of temporariness. Dharker thus criticises human attempts to hold onto power, showing us how no matter how grandiose humanity’s “capitals and monoliths” are, they aren’t meant to last.
- However, Dharker does illustrate to us that tissue, and thus human power, has the ability to change the world. She tells us that they have the power to “fly our lives like paper kites”, illustrating how despite the insignificant and frail nature of paper, it is still able to impact lives.
4
Q
“borders” “paper slips” “maps” “Koran”
A
Dharker uses the things that humans put on paper to illustrate what humans are passionate about and as a result what causes divides. She mentions things like “borders” “paper slips” “maps” “Koran”, showing how the things that humans use to illustrate power are the same things that lead to disunity and division.
5
Q
“Koran” “well used book”
A
- Dharker contrasts the temporariness of human power with the ability to create ideology that lasts. This is shown in Dharker mentioning the “Koran” and calling it a “well used book” showing it’s prevalence in modern society.
- Dharker uses this idea to illustrate how paper has the power to communicate something that is so widespread in modern society, showing how the ideas that paper creates and spreads has the power to last long after it - human power is almost immortalised through religion.
- By mentioning religion, Dharker may also be referring to its potential for causing conflict, a key focus in the collection.
6
Q
“Paper that lets the light shine through”
A
- Dharker explores religion through her use of light imagery, saying: “Paper that lets the light shine through”. The “light” here may be Dharker referring to enlightenment and truth, showing how the world should be viewed through this lens and not focused on acquiring more power.
- If paper is a conceit for human power, it depicts how despite man-kinds infatuation with power, compassion, benevolence, and love are sometimes able to “shine through”.
7
Q
“fall away on a sigh”
A
- Tissue also presents a poignant commentary on society, illustrating how the items that are prescribed value by humans often are the causes for division and conflict, a preface to what she goes on to talk about in her collection of poetry.
- However, social commentator Dharker provides a solution of sorts for this, by showing how she believes society should adapt.
- For example, she uses the metaphor of buildings being able to “fall away on a sigh”, showing how she feels even the most ironclad beliefs that mankind holds should be adaptable and evolve with time.
8
Q
Tissue - Lack of rhyme scheme (3)
A
- Dharker uses a clear lack of a rhyme scheme to create a more free flowing text, with fewer steadfast rules. This creates an impression of freedom, perhaps showing how human attempts to exert control are futile and rather there should be freedom for expression and dissent.
- The lack of rhyme heightens her message of the importance of freedom. Unlike other poems which often focus on an experience or a character, Tissue instead explores a key idea free from the constraints of a singular experience or a historical event.
- Perhaps Dharker opts for this method once more to show the importance of freedom as well as allowing her to explore her idea more thoroughly by analysing her sentiment on a level above time and humanity.
9
Q
Tissue - Regular stanzas and stanza length
A
- The whole poem comprises of restrictive quatrains which may be Dharker showing how suffocating and stifling human power can be.
- The regularity of the quatrains is contrasted with the final one line stanza which shows how imperative it is that people break free from human power in order to live freely and embrace the wonder and magnificence provided by the nature around them.
10
Q
Tissue - Enjambment
A
- The enjambment used in Tissue allows the poem to flow more freely, creating an impression of a lack of rules and constraints.
- The enjambment also contrasts with the regular quatrains to show how freedom can be found in even the most restrictive places.
- This also shows how even the strongest and most stifling human institutions are still victims to chaos and freedom, with these effects combining to mock those in power.
11
Q
Tissue - Caesura
A
- Caesura features in every stanza bar the stanza that begins with “fine slips” which speaks about the emphasis humans place on money and finance.
- This could be a criticism that humanity allows money and materialism to mindlessly engulf them, the lack of punctuation (therefore a lack of a pause) emulating the continuousness of humanities infatuation with money.
