Analysis of An

Unknown Girl - Line

By Line
An Unknown Girl is a
48-line poem that,
visually, on the page, is
'all by itself' not
knowing whether to
move left or right, a
continuous series of
short lines that widen
then narrow, a little like
a stack of lines that
could topple over at any
time.
This physical
uncertainty is mirrored
within the text as the
speaker has her hand
hennaed (henna, a plant
dye used to 'tattoo' the
skin) in an evening
bazaar by an
unknown girl
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl - Line
By Line
An Unknown Girl is a
48-line poem that,
visually, on the page, is
'all by itself' not
knowing whether to
move left or right, a
continuous series of
short lines that widen
then narrow, a little like
a stack of lines that
could topple over at any
time.
This physical
uncertainty is mirrored
within the text as the
speaker has her hand
hennaed (henna, a plant
dye used to 'tattoo' the
skin) in an evening
bazaar by an
unknown girl
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl - Line
By Line
An Unknown Girl is a
48-line poem that,
visually, on the page, is
'all by itself' not
knowing whether to
move left or right, a
continuous series of
short lines that widen
then narrow, a little like
a stack of lines that
could topple over at any
time.
This physical
uncertainty is mirrored
within the text as the
speaker has her hand
hennaed (henna, a plant
dye used to 'tattoo' the
skin) in an evening
bazaar by an
unknown girl
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl - Line
By Line
An Unknown Girl is a
48-line poem that,
visually, on the page, is
'all by itself' not
knowing whether to
move left or right, a
continuous series of
short lines that widen
then narrow, a little like
a stack of lines that
could topple over at any
time.
This physical
uncertainty is mirrored
within the text as the
speaker has her hand
hennaed (henna, a plant
dye used to 'tattoo' the
skin) in an evening
bazaar by an
unknown girl
Analysis of An Unknown Girl
An Unknown Girl is a 48-line poem that, visually, on the page, is 'all by itself' not
knowing whether to move left or right, a continuous series of short lines that widen
then narrow, a little like a stack of lines that could topple over at any time.
This physical uncertainty is mirrored within the text as the speaker has her hand
hennaed (henna, a plant dye used to 'tattoo' the skin) in an evening bazaar by an
unknown girl.

Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Alliteration
When two or more
words close together in
a line begin with the
same consonant,
they are alliterative,
adding to the sound
texture and pattern:
hennaing my
hand....shadow-
stitched....with their
Western...soft as a
snail...bird
beneath..
Analysis of An
Unknown Girl -
Literary/Poetic Devices
An Unknown Girl is a
single stanza free verse
poem of 48 short lines.
On the page it
is a slim design itself,
placed in the middle,
neither to the left or
right, perhaps a
reflection of the theme
of split identity.
The title suggests
that this poem is
about one girl but
it could be about
any
anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the
reader think about this
single personality
even before reading
the poem - will she
be known at the
end, will she remain
unknown? Why is she
unknown?
Alliteration
When two or more
words close together in
a line begin with the
same consonant,
they are alliterative,
adding to the sound
texture and pattern:
hennaing my
hand....shadow-
stitched....with their
Western...soft as a
snail...bird
beneath..
Literary/Poetic Devices
Form/Structure
An Unknown Girl is a single stanza free verse poem of 48 short lines. On the page it is a slim
design itself, placed in the middle, neither to the left or right, perhaps a reflection of the theme of
split identity.
The title suggests that this poem is about one girl but it could be about any anonymous girl. It's a
title that makes the reader think about this single personality even before reading the poem - will
she be known at the end; will she remain unknown? Why is she unknown?
Alliteration
When two or more words close together in a line begin with the same consonant, they are
alliterative, adding to the sound texture and pattern:

hennaing my hand....shadow-stitched....with their

Western...soft as a snail...bird beneath...

Assonance
When two or more words close together in a line have similar sounding vowels:

icing my....satin-peach knee....leave the street....snail trail...

Enjambment
When a line runs on into the next without punctuation, so the reader continues on without pause
or with very little pause. The sense of meaning is maintained. For example, the last four lines are
all enjambed.

Internal Rhyme
Although this is a free verse poem with no set rhyme scheme, there are rhymes within. For
example:
satin-peach knee/rupees/kameez/leave
the street/...peacock/people....reveal/beneath/lean

Metaphor
When an object or thing or person is replaced by another thing, widening understanding and
deepening imagery. For example:

I have new brown veins,

Repetition
Repeating lines or words or phrases helps rein force an image or meaning. For example:
an unknown girl .....repeated three times (plus the unknown girl at the end of the poem)

is hennaing my hand.......repeated three times.

wet brown line/spreads its lines/firm peacock lines/dry brown lines.

Simile
Comparing two or more things using the words like or as. For example:

like people who cling/to the sides of a train.