First I will talk about the context of the poem. A poem written by Imtiaz Dharker who was born in 1954 in Pakistan but she grew up in Glascow. Imtiaz now lives in Mumbai (previously named Bombay). This poem is set in Dharvi village where it provided temporary housing for millions of migrants. The poem talks about how water is important. When the pipe bursts it was a gift from God because everyone was happy. Children were running up and down, Dharvi was always having a shortage of water, so for them really it was a big issue after they had waited for so long. This poem really talks about the reality of life as a whole. Just imagine yourself spending a day without drinking water, how do you feel? I leave this question for you to answer.
The introduction of the poem is very straight forward highlighting the atmosphere of a dry season. In the heat of the day the temperature rose to 40oc and there never was enough water. For the first time when I read this poem I thought of how “the skin cracks” when it’s dry, really it’s painful. The stanzas are written in different ways. What I mean is that the introduction got only 2 lines’ but the second has got 4 and its pace changes because it has got some commas in it. I think the 3rd stanza is vital because it’s longer than the others. This stanza includes caesura like “sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,” In this quote you can see that there’s a full stop and the sentence continues after that. This stanza is the main and the effect part of the poem because water is so precious. Also this poem is written very simple and got uppercase because the case they started at the beginning of the sentence. Also what I can say is that the writer uses emotive language because you can imagine being lonely and thirsty in the middle of a hot place your skin cracking that’s what I call emotional.
When I imagine the picture of the poem, I remind myself of when I was in Africa where it is very hot in a small village. It is very depressing with nothing to do and all I can see are people gathered around, praying for rain. The place is very hot children are crying because they can’t walk bare footed. If I take a look from a distance all I see is the sparkling of the sun. With dry mouths and everyone’s lips are changing to white. However, the picture changes suddenly when the municipal pipe bursts and everyone is happy running up and down with some plastic buckets and pots which show the happiness and the prayers being answered by the lord. Seeing the sound of water dripping is described in a metaphor as the voice of kindly god. (Ref 2nd stanza last paragraph) Also we hear the sound of cracking, splashing and people footsteps at the same time they are jeering for the water. Also I just imagine the sound of the buckets and pots beating down. Children are playing naked in the water splashing each other since it has been a long period without bathing. That’s where the word “Blessing” comes which means something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity.
The water its self is descried as the blessing in colours we have got silver, brass, copper, aluminium and the flashing of the light.
The tone changes at the beginning of the poem “the skin cracks like a pod” is sorrowful, reflecting on the cracking of skin. As time goes on, the tone and the pace changes, in the 3rd stanza the writer describes the morale and happiness so it is a stanza you read it quickly, freely and exciting up to the end.
Verdict
I think this poem real it’s good and it talks about the reality of poor people who lived without water. It talks about how water is so precious and important. Imtiaz Dharker has experienced all what she wrote about, for you readers real I consult you to read this poem and have your on view. Don’t read this poem once and fast just go on it again and again so that you can get used to it and understand. If you have finished reading this poem just take a look at Hurricane Hits England a poem which is similar to blessing. The only different is that hurricane talks about exploring the emotions and ideas awakened by a violent storm
No comments:
Post a Comment