Imtiaz DharkerImtiaz DharkerImtiaz DharkerDharker was born in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. She grew up in Glasgow where her family moved when she was less than one year old. She was married to Simon Powell, the founder of the organisation Poetry Live, who died in October 2009 after an 11 year battle with cancer.

What is blessing poem about?

‘Blessing’ is a four stanza poem with some inconsistent usage of end-rhyme, dealing with the major event of a broken water pipe in a deprived slum on the outskirts of Bombay. The imagery used in the poem emphasises the poverty of the people and how important and how sacred drinking water is to these people.

When was the poem blessing written?

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. There is also a suggestion that religion and fate play a part in this small drama.

Is a Blessing by James Wright a true story?

James Wright and a Summary of ‘A Blessing’
‘A Blessing’ is based on an actual experience James Wright had whilst driving home one late afternoon with his friend Robert Bly, a fellow poet. They pulled off the highway and stopped to admire two Indian ponies.

Is a roar of tongues a metaphor?

Figurative Language
An example of a simile is “the skin cracks like a pod”. Examples of metaphors include, “a roar of tongues”, “the voice of a kindly god”, and “liquid sun”.

What does the skin cracks like a pod mean?

The skin cracks like a pod. This image of the effect of drought refers to the skin of the earth, which cracks when dry and becomes useless for growing things, and the skin of a seed-pod, which dries up and becomes brittle once it has fallen to earth.

What does break into blossom mean?

“Break into blossom.” The words of this phrase suggest creation from destruction–a milder version of the Phoenix. Such a contradictory experience is common when living with an ongoing hardship. Sometimes we find that something good emerges from our pain.

What do the ponies symbolize in a blessing?

The ponies in Wright’s poem certainly display “kindness,” and they “welcome” the humans “gladly.” In this sense, the ponies seem to symbolize the generous beauty of nature and the joy it offers humans who take the time to appreciate it.

What does they bow shyly as wet swans mean?

Yet line 11 states that the ponies “love each other.” Using a simile, the poet compares the ponies to “wet swans.” Swans often serve as a symbol of romantic love, so it seems likely that the ponies are bowing to each other rather than to their human guests.

What does Liquid Sun mean in blessing?

Imagery: seen through the use of particularly evocative phrases like: “silver crashes to the ground / and the flow has found / a roar of tongues.” It taps into the reader’s senses. Oxymoron: can be seen in the phrase “liquid sun” in the final stanza. It suggests the sun is fluid like water.

What does the voice of a kindly God mean?

The metaphor ‘the voice of a kindly god’ is used to summarize the sound of a single drip of water. This shows that the people are appreciative of the water provided, hearing it as a god speaking.

What blessing is the poet asking for?

Answer: The poet compared planting of tree with a blessing that the plant gives to his neighbours by planting the tree. He will bring transformation and aid in the growth and prosperity of life on earth.

What is the setting of the poem a blessing?

In one sense, there’s no great mystery about the setting of “The Blessing.” We know exactly where and when the action occurs: in a “pasture” along “the highway to Rochester, Minnesota” at “twilight” in the “spring.” The highway reference clearly suggests a modern setting.

What is the tone of the poem a blessing by James Wright?

Though the overall mood of “A Blessing” is one of reverential awe and “happiness,” a current of longing and “loneliness” in the poem hints that this gift of momentary joy is all too rare.

What human qualities and feelings does the speaker give to the ponies?

The ponies “welcome” two people (“my friend and me”) who step over the fence into the pasture. In the rest of the poem, the speaker describes the ponies’ interactions with each other and with their human visitors. From the speaker’s perspective, the ponies display emotions of happiness, shyness, loneliness, and love.

Is the skin cracks like a pod a metaphor?

The skin cracks like a pod.
(Simile)There is never enough water.