Analyzing "Living Space" by Imtiaz Dharker

Analyze Imtiaz Dharker's poem "Living Space" which highlights the struggles and strength of individuals living in shantytowns. Explore the use of poetic devices to convey the unevenness and fragility of their living conditions, and the societal critique embedded in the poem.

• Poetry analysis
• Imtiaz Dharker
• Living Space
• Shantytowns

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1. Living Space By Imtiaz Dharker Would you rather .? B) LIVE HERE SURROUNDED BY OTHERS? A) Live here completely AloNe .. OR Provide THREE reasons to JUSTIFY your choice: I would prefer to inhabit .because I would be able to Option A/B appeals to me, as it looks more . Living in a (mansion/ shanty town) would help me to become a _________, ________ person.

2. A03: Show understanding of the context in which texts were written. The poet: Imtiaz Dharker Shantytown definition: Imtiaz Dharker is a contemporary poet who was born in Pakistan and grew up in Scotland. An area on the edge of a city, where poor people live in small, very cheaply built houses. Dharker cares passionately about human rights, and works to raise awareness of social issues surrounding shanty town life through her poetry. Into this rough frame, someone has squeezed a living space In this poem, Dharker celebrates the strength of the people that live in shantytowns, whilst criticising the society that forces them there.

3. Living Space by Imtiaz Dharker There are just not enough straight lines. That is the problem. Nothing is flat or parallel. Beams balance crookedly on supports thrust off the vertical. Nails clutch at open seams. The whole structure leans dangerously towards the miraculous. Into this rough frame, someone has squeezed a living space and even dared to place these eggs in a wire basket, fragile curves of white hung out over the dark edge of a slanted universe, gathering the light into themselves, as if they were the bright, thin walls of faith.

4. AO2 (use terminology to identify techniques) Form: This is a shape poem , as the poem looks like the crooked structure it describes. Spot: Which of the following poetic devices help to make the poem look uneven? A) Enjambment B) Rhyme C) Alliteration There are just not enough Straight lines. That Is the problem. AO1 (use accurate quotations to express a personal response) Explain: The separation of enough and straight creates a pause when you read the poem. This immediately creates a sense of . A) Disjointedness B) Uneasiness C) Abnormality

5. AO3 (Link to context) Why don t shantytown buildings look flat , straight or parallel ? A) The builders are sloppy. B) People that live there are messy. C)The shantytown homes in India are cheaply built and cramped. Nothing is flat Or parallel. Beams Balance crookedly on supports AO2 (analyse the language used by the writer to create meanings) Link to the poet s message. In using the adverb crookedly , Dharker may be suggesting A) The structures are too dangerous for people to live in. B) The Indian government needs to invest more money in housing for the poor. C) People that live there are crooks and thieves.

6. A01/2 : Identify and Annotate Nails clutch at open seams. The whole structure leans dangerously towards the miraculous. Spot: Explain: Match up the technique to the effect. Crack the colour code for these techniques: 1) Creates a sense of desperation and danger; of barely hanging on. A)Dynamic verbs 2) Creates a sense of urgency and tension. B) Juxtaposition (contrast/opposition) 3) Suggests that dangerous or deprived living conditions can actually reveal the best of humankind. C)Short minor sentence Challenge: Consider how the word miraculous changes the tone of the poem from critical (negative) to celebratory (positive). What effect does the change in tone have on the reader? What might Dharker be about explore in the next part of the poem?

7. OVER TO YOU Task: Annotate this part of the poem; using the prompts below to guide you if needed. Into this rough frame, someone has squeezed a living space and even dared to place these eggs in a wire basket Spot: What techniques can you identify from this part of the poem ? Remember to identify word types: adjectives/ verbs/ nouns etc. Explain: What could the eggs symbolise or represent? Why did Dharker choose eggs as a metaphor? Link to context: What do the verbs squeezed and dared imply about the society that has forced people into these rough frames? Link to the poet s message: What do you think Dharker wants us to think about or feel?

8. OVER TO YOU Task: Annotate this part of the poem; using the prompts below to guide you if needed. fragile curves of white hung out over the dark edge of a slanted universe, gathering the light into themselves, as if they were the bright, thin walls of faith. fragile = adjective Suggests they are vulnerable. As shantytown inhabitants are poor/ uncared for. Fragile is emotive; Dharker invites our sympathy. white/dark = Conveys/Illustrates/Highlights as if they were the bright, thin walls of faith =

9. What is the overall message and tone of Living Space? Decide whether you think the poem is more of a criticism or celebration of shanty-town life TASK: Highlight and annotate two extra quotes to tip the scales in your favour. Abstract noun made concrete suggests the miraculous is tangible/ a real place. Verb implies desperation. Negative Positive (Critical) (Celebratory) towards the miraculous nails clutch Negative noun in this simple statement creates accusatory/ critical tone. Verb shows that the people living there can find hope in the darkness. That/ is the problem. gathering the light into themselves the whole structure leans dangerously bright, thin walls of faith What types of words are these? What impression do they create? Adverb makes us think that the building teeters towards collapse.

10. Think again: Has your perspective changed? Would you rather .? B) LIVE HERE SURROUNDED BY OTHERS? A) Live here completely AloNe .. OR Provide THREE reasons to JUSTIFY your choice, using FULL SENTENCES: I would prefer to inhabit .because I would be able to Option A/B appeals to me, as it looks more . Living in a (mansion/ shanty town) would help me to become a _________, ________ person.