Tissue by Imtiaz Dharker

The poem ‘Tissue’ by Imtiaz Dharker reveals the power of a paper, and how one can use it for many
different things. It is about the fragility and power of humanity, which is used as an extended
metaphor throughout the poem. The speaker, in the poem, is the first and second person narrator who
uses tissue paper as an extended metaphor for life. She considers how a paper can ‘alter things’ and
refers to the soft thin paper of religion, particularly the Qur’an. There are also real-life references to
other lasting uses we have for paper in our lives, for example; maps, receipts, and architect drawings.

Each of these items is connected to important aspects of life: journeys, money, and home. These
examples demonstrate how important but also how fragile paper is. In the final stages of the poems, the
poet links the idea of a building being made from paper to human skin, using the words ‘living tissue’
and then ‘your skin.’ This is quite a complex idea, and the meaning is open to interpretation. She may be
suggesting that the significance of human life will outlast the records we make of it on paper or in a
building. There is also a sense of the fragility of human life, and the fact that not everything can last.

Structure

The poem, ‘Tissue’, which can be read in full here, is primarily structured in unrhymed,

irregular quatrains. This type of form is generally used to represent the irregularity of life and flimsy
nature of the tissue paper the poem talks about. There are ten stanzas in the poem. The first nine
stanzas are each four lines long. The final stanza, however, is one line in length, drawing our attention to
it. Separating out his line emphasizes the connection between paper and skin, depicting the significance
of human life. Since the poem is written in free verse, it lacks regular rhyme and its rhyme is unsteady as
if to represent the fluttering of tissue paper. The poem has the use of enjambment, running meaning
between lines across stanza breaks. This contributes to the flowing delicate nature – both of paper and
of the human lives the poet compares the tissue to.

Analysis of Tissue

Stanza One

Paper that lets the light

shine through, this
is what could alter things.
Paper thinned by age or touching,

What would you do if you are sitting alone in your room with no entertainment facilities around you?
Obviously, you would pick up a paper; write down something, such as a message for your friends, some
or other type of drawing, or sketching any figure that comes to your mind. Besides, you could also write
a poem, or give a new shape to the paper into any inanimate thing that you can play with, and entertain
you. So, there are many important and useful usages of a paper, but unfortunately, we take it for
granted, throw it into the dustbin without knowing about the significance it has played in our life.
Though all that I have written about may not be relevant to the poem, it does reveal the various uses of
a paper. Similarly, the speaker, in this poem, makes use of tissue paper as an extended metaphor and
compares it to our life. She says the light that shines through the paper is actually the representation of
a god. It is a symbol of truth, and when used in religious texts, it represents god. The thin paper
represents old age; as we grow in our age, our skin also becomes thinner, and when this starts
happening things around us also begin to alter. This is because we are gaining wisdom, and getting
wiser.

Stanza Two

the kind you find in well-used books,

(…)
who was born to whom,

The poet further says that the paper may grow older, but it does not lose its importance. No matter
what religious books you follow or worship, you cannot imagine without papers. You can find this paper
in almost all well-used books, it is everywhere, be it ‘the back of the Qur’an, or any other religious
books. A paper is a history in itself. It has the names of all those heroes who glorified our history. It even
tells you who born when, who died where, and who died how. It has the date and time of all of us. In
this stanza, the poem has used the paper as an extended metaphor, such as “used books” – which
represents human life, and says that the human/skin has been used and touched by others much like
the Koran. Besides, it tells how the paper has a record of famous people and religious books. The phrase
‘well-used is to describe the books and so the tissue is just one-way Dharker makes the tissue seem
positive; ‘well-used items are usually good as otherwise, they wouldn’t be worthy of any use. ‘Grand; is
used to describing the design made with tissue also, and this has another, positive effect.

Stanza Three

the height and weight, who

(…)
transparent with attention.

In the third stanza, the speaker tells that a paper is useful to keep a record of all those who were born
and died. It records who died when and how, thus a paper is useful to document. “Pages smoothed and
stroked and turned transparent with attention,’ is an extended metaphor that the poet again uses here.
By this, she means that a paper is like a human skin that is ‘smoothed and stroked’ by the touch of
another. By “turned transparent with attention”, the speaker brings into light the fragility of human life
and tells us how people can change. The meaning of ‘sepia date’ relates to the date, which gives the
reference of one’s birth and death certificate.

Stanzas Four and Five

If buildings were paper, I might

feel their drift, see how easily

(…)

that rivers make, roads,

railtracks, mountainfolds,
In the fourth and fifth stanza of the poem, the speaker becomes a little speculative and imagines what if
the buildings were made of paper. Here she compares the paper to human skin, employing the words
like ‘living tissue’ and then ‘your skin.’ Through this stanza, the poet may also mean that if they (people)
were made of paper, they were easily drifted by the wind; how just a move would lead to their
destruction by just a little blow of wind. They were destroyed and collapse on the ground. So, emotion
and weather both affect them. She then goes to another idea of a paper. She talks about the maps and
says the sun shines through their borderlines, the marks that rivers make, roads, railtracks,
mountainfolds. She in fact shows the relationship between maps and the world. Maps are also delicate,
conditional, and may be moved by wars if not by emotions. This is really a very strange image the poet
uses to describe a paper. “The marks that rivers make, roads, railtracks, mountainfolds” may also refer
to human skin – blemishes, veins marks all attained during life. ‘Maps’ are often made of paper. This
may also refer to geographical borders being restrictive/not free. The ‘sun’/ nature’s power breaks
through man’s divisions. in words, like revers make, roads, railtracks, alliteration of ‘r’ sound gives
momentum/ rhythm to the poem. The use of the word ‘mountain-folds’ may also be a metaphor for
veins/wrinkles/marks on skin obtained all through life.

Stanza Six

Fine slips from grocery shops

(…)
might fly our lives like paper kites.

In this stanza, the poet talks about the practical uses of a paper when she says fine slips (receipts) or
‘credit card (s), she may mean that details provided by them can explain a lot about human lives. They
disclose what and how much was sold, and what was paid for the purchases. This familiar image could
suggest something larger about socioeconomics. This may also suggest that our lives are controlled by
money. Kites are often fragile and difficult to control. This may also signify that our society is also
preoccupied with material goods. And ‘paper kites’ represent freedom. This image looks like something
innocent and child-like. In this stanza, the idea of wind carrying paper becomes the image of freedom
within the poem.

Stanzas Seven, Eight and Nine

An architect could use all this,

place layer over layer, luminous
(…)
of paper smoothed and stroked
and thinned to be transparent,

Through this section of the poem, the speaker says if an architect makes builds his buildings with tissue
paper, she will be able to bring light even through the buildings and will not again think of making the
buildings with breaks. She can make a grand design with this living tissue and will come up with a
structure that will not last for long. Here the speaker moves from talking about an inanimate paper to
‘living tissue’. She says that life is much more intricate than any building, but also temporary’ yet family
history is lasting. “Never meant to last” seems ominous. An architect is one who is qualified to design
buildings while luminous means radiating/reflecting light. This use of alliteration/repetition reinforces
the build-up of layers. ‘Script over numbers over line parallels between architect/poet’s craft. The
meaning of monoliths is large stone statue/column.

The speaker says that human life is both a wonderful construction and fleeting. The ‘grand design’ may
signify the way life is built, each being ‘grand’ and unique in its own  way, yet ‘never meant to last.’
Besides, the poet also suggests the religious idea that man is made in the image of God. The ‘grand
design’ refers to the perfect image of God that is traced with ‘living tissue’ in the form of humankind.

turned into your skin

Though this is the last verse of the poem, it is very meaningful and holds the utmost importance in the
poem. This is one line in length and draws our attention to it. Distinguishing out this line lays emphasis
on the connection between paper and skin, depicting the significance of human life.  The direct pronoun
“your” talks to the readers. As we value human life and compare its vulnerability to paper similar to the
extended metaphor all through the poem.

This poem concentrates on the different things in life that keep us bridled or in control and represents
that our lives are mapped out by the paper. Examine the different themes, for example; nature, religion,
wealth, pride, life and freedom. Some of the poem’s images are ambiguous, and they raise many
questions, such as; is it about spiritual fulfillment? Does the persona desire a world without many
constraints? Is it ultimately about life being fragile/transient (temporary)?

Critical Analysis

The poem, ‘Tissue’, by Imtiaz Dharker, not only describes the power of a paper, and its various usages,
but it also talks about the fragility and power of humanity. The poet also states how a paper can ‘alter
things’ and relates its soft skin to the religious aspect, with the reference of the Qur’an. Apart from a
tissue’s religious, personal, and humane references, the poet also relates it to its other long-lasting
usages, such as maps, receipts, and architect drawings. In all, the poem suggests how fragile and
important a paper is, but unfortunately, we take it for granted and throw it into the dustbin after its use
by just considering it a piece of paper. The context of the poem is interesting, Dharker is of Pakistani
origin which may factor in why religion features in this poem. Being an ethnic minority growing up in
Scotland would no doubt inform a poem such as this.

mtiaz Dharker and a Summary of 'Blessing'

'Blessing' is a free verse poem, the main theme of which is poverty and the importance of water. It
focuses on a slum on the outskirts of Mumbai in India and, in particular, the reaction of children who
come to celebrate and drink when a pipe bursts.

Vivid imagery and figurative language combine with personification, simile and other poetic devices to
produce a visual feast that carries with it subtle messages. As humans, we all need water to survive but
the poorest need it more than the rich, who perhaps take it for granted most of the time.
This is fitting because the poet is also a documentary filmmaker who, though born in Pakistan and raised
in Scotland, lives in Mumbai, a city full of contrasts and contradictions.

First published in 1989 in her book Purdah, 'Blessing' was created directly from a typical Mumbai slum
scene, in Dharavi, so it carries a freshness and immediacy that compliments the figurative and literary.

This is a poem for and of the senses. The language reflects the speaker's perception and observation:

Imagine...echo...voice...rush...crashes...roar...butts...naked...screaming...flashing...sings

There is also a suggestion that religion and fate play a part in this small drama. In the second stanza,
there is mention of the voice of a kindly god, a benevolent deity capable of transforming into water.

And note the sudden rush of fortune in the third stanza, implying luck on behalf of the slum dwellers
when the pipe bursts. When they gather the word used is congregation, again connected to religion.

In the final stanza, the title word blessing appears, suggesting divine favour and protection. It is
interesting to note that the children are here seen perfected, turned into ideal figures, future hope for
the poorer members of society.

'Blessing'

The skin cracks like a pod.

There never is enough water.

Imagine the drip of it,

the small splash, echo
in a tin mug,
the voice of a kindly god.

Sometimes, the sudden rush

of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,
silver crashes to the ground
and the flow has found
a roar of tongues. From the huts,
a congregation : every man woman
child for streets around
butts in, with pots,
brass, copper, aluminium,
plastic buckets,
frantic hands,

and naked children

screaming in the liquid sun,
their highlights polished to perfection,
flashing light,
as the blessing sings
over their small bones.

Stanza by Stanza Analysis

'Blessing' has 4 stanzas of varying length, perhaps a reflection of the speaker's reaction to the scene they
enter.

Analysis of Poem "A Blessing" by James Wright

Stanza 1

Two distinct lines, complete sentences.

The first line refers to the effect of the climate on human skin - this is India where the sun can be cruel
and baking hot. So the harsh, dry sounds of the hard k following one after another reinforce the feeling
of the skin being scorched.

A pod holds seeds and often the dry warmth helps set the seeds free but here the sense is not of
freedom but of limitation, even danger. Without moisture from water, human skin might quickly dry and
shrivel up and start to crack, like dry earth.

The second line drives home the hard fact. In this part of the world, it is always a struggle to find water,
the climate is so dry and hot. That word never resonates throughout the whole poem.

Stanza 2

Four lines, a single sentence, three commas telling the reader to slow down a little, that opening
verb imagine, inviting the reader to get closer via the mind.

There is just a single drop splashing into an empty tin mug, transformed metaphorically into a voice of a
god, any god, who has life-giving qualities.

Stanza 3

Eleven lines, three complete sentences, an example of what might be or what has gone before.

From the drip to the gush. Here is an accident, a result of government/council neglect perhaps. Or lack
of funding for repair. A pipe bursts and water turns into a precious metal, silver, which is also a colour
flowing to meet the tongues, the roaring tongues of a good many people.

They won't miss this opportunity. Water flows, people flow...a congregation...is that a reference to
religion? Is this the equivalent of a church gathering, people meeting to worship the water god?

They bring anything to hand in order to capture the precious water. To store some for later. Poor people
have to act immediately or it may be too late; the water has to be contained.

Stanza 4

Note the comma at the end of stanza 3, so a slight pause for the reader before discovering that the
naked children are going a bit bonkers in the hot sun, and why not, for the pipe has burst and brought a
blessing of water...cool and fresh and flowing over their bodies, over their small bones.
How apt to end the poem with children, thin children, who are the future of the slum nevertheless, of
that poor community, who benefit most from this outpouring. The voice of that god is now singing and
for the time being at least, all is well in Dharavi.

Simile, Metaphor and Literary Devices in Blessing

Alliteration

When words beginning with the same consonants are close together in a line they are alliterative. This
adds texture to the sounds:

small splash...flow has found...screaming in the liquid sun...polished to perfection

Assonance

When words close together in a line have similar-sounding vowels:

Imagine the drip of it...in a tin...sudden rush...fortune. The municipal...tongues. From...frantic

hands...blessing sings...over their small bones.

Enjambment

If there is no punctuation at the end of a line and it runs straight into the next, maintaining the sense:

so lines 4-5...echo/in a tin mug,

lines 7-8 rush/of fortune.

lines 9-10 and 10-11 and 12-13 and 13-14 and 18-19 and 22-23.

Enjambment helps keep the pace moving and is part of the syntactical structure.

Metaphor

In line 6...the voice of a kindly god...is a metaphor for the echo of the drip in the tin mug.

In line 9...silver crashes to the ground...is a metaphor for the water. Silver is both valueable as a precious
metal and is also a colour.

Oxymoron

When a phrase contains contradictory terms, so:

In line 19...liquid sun...suggests the sun is a fluid, is watery.

Personification

If a non-human object or thing is given human traits or characteristics:

In line 6...the voice of a kindly god...in line 10...the flow has found...in line 11... a roar of tongues.

Simile

The first line compares the skin to a pod, using the word like...The skin cracks like a pod
THE TERRORIST AT MY TABLE

An anguished god surveys a world stricken by fundamentalism in these powerful poems by a writer
whose cultural experience spans three countries: Pakistan, the country of her birth, and Britain and
India, her countries of adoption. Her main themes are drawn from a life of transitions: childhood, exile,
journeying, home, displacement, religious strife and terror, and latterly, grief. She is also an
accomplished artist, and all her collections are illustrated with her drawings, which form an integral part
of her books. The terrorist at my table asks crucial questions about how we live now - working,
travelling, eating, listening to the news, preparing for attack. What do any of us know about the person
who shares this street, this house, this table, this body? When life is in the hands of a fellow-traveller, a
neighbour, a lover, son or daughter, how does the world shift and reform itself around our doubt, our
belief? Imtiaz Dharker's poems and pictures hurtle through a world that changes even as we pass. This is
life seen through distorting screens - a windscreen, a TV screen, newsprint, mirror, water, breath, heat
haze, smokescreen. Her book grows, layer by layer, through three sequences: The terrorist at my table,
The habit of departure and Worldwide Rickshaw Ride. Each cuts a different slice through the terrain of
what we think of as normal. But through all the uncertainties and concealments, her poems unveil the
delicate skin of love, trust and sudden recognition. Imtiaz Dharker is an accomplished artist. Like all her
collections, The terrorist at my table is illustrated with her drawings, which form an integral part of the
book.

'Her work is full of a deep relish for all the world has to offer – food, travel, colour, love – and a lip-
smacking relish for words themselves.' - Carol Ann Duffy (Poems to get us through), The Guardian

‘Hers is a strong, concerned, economical poetry, in which political activity, homesickness, urban
violence, religious anomalies, are raised in an unobtrusive domestic setting, all the more effectively for
their coolness of treatment’ – Alan Ross, London Magazine

‘Here is no glib internationalism or modish multiculturalism …Displacement here no longer spells exile; it
means an exhilarating sense of life at the interstices. There is an exultant celebration of a self that strips
off layers of superfluous identity with grace and abandon, only to discover that it has not diminished,
but grown larger, generous, more inclusive’ – Arundhathi Subramaniam, Poetry International

'Were there to be a World Laureate, Imtiaz Dharker would be the only candidate' – Carol Ann Duffy.