tissue Flashcards
What is the overall summary of tissue
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.
How is power of paper/human power shown in tissue
• Tissues explores how human power is “not meant to last” through a variety of metaphors.
• 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, have 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.
• Dharker also illustrates the power of paper via her exploration of money calling it “paper slips and telling us how it controls our lives as well as through her exploration of books. She tells us paper have the ability to record “who was born to whom” showing us that paper has the power to encapsulate and record something as complex as human lives.
Finally, 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
How is religion shown in tissue
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.
• Dharker also 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”.
• Through the ambiguity of Dharker referring to religion but not to a specific God throughout the poem, Dharker shows her Calvinist and Muslim background.
How is society shown in tissue
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.
• Alternatively, this could also be Dharker showing that she feels humanity’s power to be short lived and transient, alike to the paper she compares it too.
Dharker also elaborates on her social commentary when she says that she feels society should be more honest and truthful, shown by her use of alliteration in “turned transparent”
How is lack of rhyme scheme shown in tissue
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.
How is regular stanzas and stanza length shown in tissue
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 show how imperative it is to break free from human power and embrace the wonder provided by nature around them
How is enjabment shown in tissue
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.
How is caesura shown in tissue
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 engult them, the lack of punctuation (therefore a lack of a pause emulating the continuousness of humanities infatuation with money.
