living space

• what does the opening line 'there are just not enough' suggest

  imatiz is focusing on what the space lacks
• 'balanced crookedly on supports' tells us what about the space and the potential of it improving 


  that any support it gets can not be relied upon
• 'nails clutch at open seams' suggests what

  that the area is weak and hazardous but also 'clutch' conveys a sense of desperation
• 'the whole structure leans dangerously ' implies what

  the place could collapse at any moment
• what does the poet celebrate by calling the place 'miraculous'

  the faith of people
• what is the metaphorical meaning behind 'nail clutch at open seams'

  it links the the hope people have
• what does the line 'someone has squeezed' imply about the space

  its a small and overcrowded space
• what does the title 'living space' imply

  its not a home, its only a place for survival
• 'dared to place' highlights what about the people

  they are brave and will take risks to survive
• 'these eggs in a wired bask' shows what

  The mundanity and fragility of it as eggs are symbolic of fragility and life
• 'fragile curves of white hung out over the dark edge'. What does the contrast show

  how the place is neither good nor bad
• what does 'slanted universe imply'

  how this is so much bigger than people think because of the community
• What do short sentences in the poem reflect?

  The lack of space and physical awkwardness
• What do the rhymes in the poem reflect?

  The irregularity of the space
• When was 'Living Space' published?

  1997
• Who is the author of 'Living Space'?

  Imtiaz Dharker
• What themes are present in Dharker's work?

  Home, cultural displacement, faith, conflict
• What is Imtiaz Dharker's mixed heritage?

  Pakistani and Scottish
• What does Dharker describe herself as?

  A Scottish Muslim Calvinist
• What percentage of Mumbai's population lives in informal settlements?

  41%
• What positive aspects exist in Mumbai's slums?

  Strong community spirit and opportunities
• What challenges do people in Mumbai's slums face?

  Overcrowding and lack of sanitation
• What effect does the present tense have in the poem?

  It creates vivid, cinematic images
• What do the verbs "leans", "thrust", and "clutch" convey?

  The precariousness of the structure
• What does the imagery of "eggs in a wire basket" suggest?

  The delicate nature of human life
• What do "gathering the light" and "thin walls of faith" imply?

  Religious connotations