Imtiaz Dharker is a Pakistani-British poet and artist who has published several collections of poetry and has received numerous awards for her work. One of her most well-known poems is "Blessing," which explores the idea of abundance and gratitude in the face of poverty and scarcity.
In "Blessing," Dharker uses vivid imagery and sensory language to convey the experience of living in a community with limited resources. The poem begins with the line "this is the kind of water that brings the fish" and goes on to describe the "hard, brown / clay banks" of a river and the "thick, green scum" floating on its surface. This imagery immediately conveys a sense of poverty and hardship, as the water is not clean and clear like one might expect.
However, despite the difficulties of life in this community, Dharker's speaker remains grateful for the small blessings that are present. She writes about the "square of sky" that can be seen through the "chinks" in the roof, and the "cool, green leaves" of the mango tree that provide shade. These details not only convey a sense of hope and beauty in the midst of hardship, but also suggest that abundance can be found in the most unexpected places.
The poem's central metaphor is the idea of water as a blessing, with the speaker saying that "this is the kind of water that can make you rich." This line suggests that even though the water may not be clean or aesthetically pleasing, it is still valuable because it sustains life. By extension, the poem suggests that all of the seemingly small and insignificant blessings in life – whether they be natural beauty, moments of joy, or relationships with loved ones – can add up to create something truly valuable and enriching.
Overall, "Blessing" is a powerful and poignant reminder to be grateful for the blessings we have, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant they may seem. Through vivid imagery and a compelling metaphor, Dharker encourages readers to look beyond appearances and see the value in the things we often take for granted.
Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker
The cycle begins with one and ends with one, dha dhin dhin dha. Such a contradictory experience is common when living with an ongoing hardship. Sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune. You can tell by the sandals piled outside, the owners' prints worn into leather, rubber, plastic, a picture clearer than their faces put together, with some originality, brows and eyes, the slant of cheek to chin. Every man woman child for streets around buts in is a quote to support this. It throws a blanket over them, but we are the ones who are shivering. First, it could be that this is a blessing of water.
What are the themes of the poem "Blessing" by Imtiaz Dharker?
In this case, it relates to both. The cracked voice calls again. Water, food and electricity are just a few. The poem ends leaving a significant impact on the reader with the element of god coming in. At last a sign, behind the veil, of life; found another man, became another wife, and sank into the mould of her mother's flesh and mind, begging approval from the rest. We are playing with time.
As the third stanza develops she develops the idea. From the huts, 12a congregation: every man woman 13child for streets around 14butts in, with pots, 15brass, copper, aluminium, 16plastic buckets, 17frantic hands, 18and naked children 19screaming in the liquid sun, 20their highlights polished to perfection, 21flashing light, 22as the blessing sings 23over their small bones. Dharker has created an atmosphere of of urgency through this poem further imposing how important water is as a resource. The poet has created sound images to create an overall sensory depiction of a picture that has a very strong impact on the reader. Water, food and electricity are just a few.
Each one has left a mark, the perfect pattern of a need, sole and heel and toe in dark, curved patches, heels worn down, thongs ragged, mended many times. Outside, in the sun, such a quiet crowd of shoes, thrown together like a thousand prayers washing against the walls of God. From the speaker's perspective, the ponies display emotions of happiness, shyness, loneliness, and love. Paper thinned by age or touching, the kind you find in well-used books, the back of the Koran, where a hand has written in the names and histories, who was born to whom, the height and weight, who died where and how, on which sepia date, pages smoothed and stroked and turned transparent with attention. We take many things for granted in our lives.
I see your mother bringing you a stretch of brilliant fabric, red. Nowadays, when people hear stories in relation to poverty, they pay no attention or think of it as something of rare importance. The municipal pipe bursts, … plastic buckets, frantic hands, This third stanza is the longest in the poem, mainly because it discusses the abundance of the blessing instead of its lack. This is a powerful strategy as it reveals the importance of the blessing before the reader is even aware of what it could be. Imtiaz Dharker Poems Why does the poet invoke the God of me? The cracked voice calls again.
In or out of purdah. So many shuffling hopes, pounded into print, as clear as the pages of holy books, illuminated with the glint of gold around the lettering. The lack of punctuation used in the 3rd stanza helps further impose the idea of urgency in the poem. But they make different angles in the light, their eyes aslant, a little sly. Nie gibt es genug Wasser.
Poem Blessing, By Imtiaz Dharker Analysis And Summary Essay
Imagine the drip of it, the small splash, echo in a tin mug, the voice of a kindly god. From the huts, 12a congregation: every man woman 13child for streets around 14butts in, with pots, 15brass, copper, aluminium, 16plastic buckets, 17frantic hands, 18and naked children 19screaming in the liquid sun, 20their highlights polished to perfection, 21flashing light, 22as the blessing sings 23over their small bones. Imtiaz Dharker has written this poem in 3rd person where he narrates a moment in time when water is available in an area. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. Feel free to send comments or to mark my writing! Line six continues to Third Stanza Sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune.
The title of the poem is short, but not straightforward. There never is enough water. A place not private, though it pretends to walls and bolts; but battered, cracked so all the lives show through the boards and beams that might as well be paper, glass. We are floating here, our hearts filled with soft evening air and the sound of conversations in the rooms behind us, in love with the shape of each other and the dance we make together, waving to you, sending a sign that you would see if you were looking but you are not. Sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune.
