Carpet Weavers

Discuss how Carol Rumens uses language and imagery to create an effective

poem.
In the poem ”Carpet Weavers, Morocco”, Carol Rumens portrays the illusion of
beauty radiated by the Moroccan children and their masterpieces, as seen from her
point of view as a foreign English woman. Through the effective use of language
and imagery, she impresses upon the reader the hopes and dreams of the children,
whilst at the same time unveiling the dismal and hopeless situation in which they
are trapped. There is a constant sense of irony and injustice in the poem, which
successfully draws sympathy and pity from the readers.

The opening line of the first stanza, ‘The children are at the loom of another world’
brings to mind the image of children weaving. Literally, the loom is the machine at
which the children weave their carpets, with ”another world” clarifying the
difference of nationality between the poet and the children. However, ”loom” is
also used to symbolize the omnipresence of the adult world, which can be viewed
as the ‘other world’. The children’s employers hold control over their daily lives
since by employing them, the children are not allowed to experience an ordinary,
carefree childhood. ‘Another world’ suggests that the children do not belong in the
carpet-weaving factory-they are meant to be in a world where they can grow, learn
and have fun.

The second line of the stanza ‘Their braids are oiled and black, their dresses
bright’, is a description of the illusion of beauty. The children are as beautiful as
the carpets they weave, but they are only for show, clouding the harsh reality of
their lives-hence, it is unmistakable fact that they will not be going anywhere
in their beautiful attire. This idea of an illusion is supported by the third line in
which Rumens uses the words ‘would make’ instead of  ‘makes’ in association
with a ‘melodious chime’. The melodious chime in question is a metaphor for the
assorted heights of the children. However the chime is ironically melodious -
there are a range of notes-not simply because of the variation in size of the
children, but the range of ages-as the children are forced to work as carpet-weavers
for the majority their young lives. Thus the effect of ‘would make’ suggests that
the time of childhood was sacrificed on the children’s part to make a melodious
chime.

The second stanza describes how the children are gazing in a transfixed manner at
their works of art, as if they see something more in their carpets than just ‘flicking
knots’-they see their futures, their hopes and dreams, for in a way they do depend
on their carpets to earn a  living, hoping that the profit made on the trade of their
works will achieve their wish to finally escape from the clutches of employment ,
back into their childhood. They are drawn to their carpets as any child could be
drawn to television because they offer a temporary form of escape as suggested
by the ‘garden of Islam’.

‘Garden of Islam’ brings to mind the image of paradise or heaven. ‘The bench will
be raised’ seems to suggest that the children are lifted into heaven, to be with God.
‘Lacing the dark-rose veins of the treetop’ hints at a divine power-since the
children now stand with God, they have a similar ability of giving life, ‘veins’, to
what would have been lifeless. However, the irony is again established when we
realise that the more energy the children put into the carpets the more beautiful
they become,  and the more exquisite the carpets are the less likely they will be
able to leave the factory as their employers would be more reluctant to release
them.

Rumens tries to extract sympathy from the readers in the third stanza. The image of
a carpet being tossed into ‘the merchant’s truck’ undermines the hard work the
children have done. The realisation that the children will never get to see their
masterpieces again, nor pray upon them is heart breaking. To think that their
achievements are for the benefit of others, gives a solemn atmosphere. It is also
ironic they will not be able to pray upon their own creations and instead must be
content that their hard work will allow for other worshippers to send their prayers
to God and have them answered, as suggested by ‘Deep and soft, it will give when
heaped with prayer.’ The children receive nothing from their work except a
nominal amount, which provides the reader with a startling contrast to the
children’s desire for freedom.

Sympathy and pity reaches a climax in the last stanza as the first line ‘the children
are hard at work in the school days’ establishes the difference between these
children’s days and those of ordinary children. It is once again ironic that they
phrase ‘school of days’ should be mentioned when it is clear that the children are
not receiving an education. Unlike ordinary privileged children, they are forced to
work, to bear the responsibility of breadwinners. The alliteration and repetition of
‘f’ in ”fingers, ‘fly’, ‘freeze’ and ‘frame’ suggests the monotonous life that the
carpet-weavers lead-each day they work towards producing spectacular carpets,
only to see their work being take away. Each day they wish for their carpets to give
them a reliable future, but at the same time, each carpet woven is another of
moment of their future gone. ‘Future’ and ‘freedom’ also begin with ‘f’ but their
omitted presence signifies their absence in the children’s lives.

The last two lines of the last stanza strikes a note of finality – áll-that-will-be’
symbolizes the potential in the children to become wonderful leading adults of the
world, while ‘fly and freeze into the frame of all-that-was’ conveys the message
that the children are fated to be carpet-weavers for most of their childhood. By the
time their eyes have grown dim from the dust and their fingers lose their
nimbleness, they will be forced to leave and enter a world of which they have no
knowledge or understanding. By that time, it would be too late to nurture any seeds
of growth in their minds.

Carol Rumens has succeeded in conveying the moral message that children who

are allowed to go to school should feel lucky and privileged, and that receiving an
education means much more than just sitting in a classroom-it may well be the
foundation of a desirable and free future.

Carpet Weavers Morocco

Extracts from this document...

Introduction
Carpet Weavers, Morocco An analysis of Carol Rumens poem 'Carpet Weavers, Morocco' This poem deals with
the issue of child labour in Morocco. In Morocco you will find that most carpets have been made by children
who should actually be at school. However their parents can't afford to send them there so they are made to
work. Many of them start weaving from the age of five. They are sent to work early because there at least their
parents will know that they are fed. This is what Carol Rumens saw when she visited Morocco which inspired
her to write this poem. In the first stanza Rumens describes what the children who weave the carpets are
like. ...read more.

Middle
The next stanza describes how the children make the carpet. She refers to the knots in the carpet as television
because that is their entertainment whereas in other countries children have televisions as entertainment. 'The
Garden of Islam' is the carpet's abstract pattern which represents heaven and paradise with its fragrant flowers
and fountains. Many carpets from that area have Islamic patterns on them as the majority of the population in
these areas is Muslim. The bench being raised is saying that when the carpet is almost finished the children's
seats have to be raised as they can't reach the top of the carpet. This is because they are so small. The next line
describes the delicate and intricate details in the branches of the tree-tops being weaved in to the carpet. ...read
more.

Conclusion
However it also means that the mosque is giving these children money for their work so that they can survive. In
the last line of the stanza the word 'give' has more than one meaning. The first is that the carpet will yield to the
pressure of the worshipper's weight the other is that the worshippers give for the welfare of the children who
made the carpets. The last stanza says that the children instead of going to school learn from experience in
making carpets. The patterns in the carpet symbolize history being woven and 'frozen' into the carpet. The poet
uses alliteration throughout the poem as well as a lot of metaphors. This poem gives a very clear and accurate
image of what these children go through and I feel that it is a great poem by Carol Rumens. It makes you want
to do something to help the children and stop this injustice.