Living space

Cards (30)

  • who wrote Living Space?
    Imtiaz Dharker
  • what else other than a poet is Dharker?
    Artist which may be why this poem is so visual
  • where was Dharker born and raised?
    born - Pakistan
    raised - Glasgow
    #live- uk and india
  • what type of poet is Dharker?
    contempory
  • what does Dharker use in her poems?
    she uses her multicultural perspective throughout her writing
  • As a poet , artist and filmmaker , Dharker tries to raise awareness of how people in other cultures live
  • what is the poem about?
    The Mumbai slums where millions of people live in hopes of a better life
  • people migrate all over india for a better life
  • The slums are living spaces created from lots of materials
  • There is limited access to electricity , clean water , food and education
  • there is alot of poverty in the slums
  • title - living space
    suggest a lack of emotional connection or fondness , explicitly not a home and disorder in the slums
  • " There are just not enough straight line "
  • " Beams balance " 

    Alliteration ties the phrase together while the enjambment tears them apart much like the slums as there is tension in the connectedness of phrase
  • " that is the problem "

    declarative sentence - critical tone makes it an observation suggesting the inability to do anything
  • " nails clutch at open seams "

    personification of " nails " suggests the precarious existence and insecurity if the structures were to fall
  • " the whole structure leans dangerously towards the miraculous"

    the line leans over the rest much like the irregularity of the slums
    "miraculous" miracle the structure still stands despite the hardship
  • semantic field of precarity
    " nothing is flat or parallel" fragility of the slums
  • " rough frame "

    lack of finesse or recourses
  • " someone has squeezed "

    vague language relate to the anonymous millions in slums - " squeezed " suggests the resourcefulness of the people that despite not fitting they still try
  • how does the second stanza reflect the context in living space?
    the stanza itself is small and is squeezed between 2 larger poems
  • " And even dared to place "

    suggests that someone is rebelling against the poor living conditions - courage in the face of precarious space
  • " these eggs in a wire basket "

    egg symbolise the fragility and new life
  • " white" ,"light"

    one of the few examples of end rhyme and both words have connotations of hope
  • " of a slanted universe "

    could refer to the slums being massive but could also critisise the corrupted society and inequality in the world
  • " the bright, thin walls of faith"

    reinforces the fragility of the slums inhabitants existence
  • " faith "

    almost religious tone at end of poem ; it is the people belief that keeps them going
  • Structure
    line lengths are uneven could symbolise the slums could fall down
  • how does the few rhymes contribute to the poem?
    act as a way of holding the poem together similar to the nails of the poem
  • poems to compare with theme of place
    london