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.Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi
- Essay length: 2104 words
- Submitted: 01/11/2010
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Reviewed by:
PicturePerfect
The first 200 words of this essay...
.'Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan' by Moniza Alvi
We have studied the poem 'Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan' by Monzia Alvi; she was of a mixed parentage. Her farther was Pakistani and her mother was English. She was born in Pakistan but then moved to England long before she could even remember. It is very difficult for people to move from one culture to another and having to adapt can be tough. This poem expresses her confusion and her search of her true identity throughout her life. The Pakistani clothes that her aunts send to her symbolise a small part of who she is expected to be, and a part she doesn't feel at-all comfortable with. Her poem is mostly about living in one culture but having long lost roots and memories from another. It describes her journey as she searches all aspects to try and reveal her true identity. Because she has no memories of her birthplace her poem describes how she desires to just fit in with everyone else and just feel almost unnoticed and 'normal'.
'Presents' is an autobiographical poem and is written in free verse. The lengths of the stanzas vary throughout
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Review of essay
Rating: 4 star(s)
Response to the question
A superb example of the level of analysis required to achieve a high grade. The candidate is very through in their response and goes into great detail when discussing each section of the poem. In addition the essay is well laid out and flows nicely.
Level of analysis
The candidate goes into a fantastic level of depth and analysis and carefully pulls apart each stanza, discussing the relationship between lines in the poem and the poets feelings. S/he manages to mention many of the key points I had in mind when I read the poem. The only thing lacking in this essay is discussion of the linguistic terms used, such as the metaphorical language used in the following line “there was conflict, a fractured land†the split in Pakistan is compared to her confused identify. She herself is split between the culture of Pakistan and the culture of England, in a sense she is fractured, and torn between two worlds. The use of appropriate technical terms and perhaps independent research into Pakistan as a country is all that is required to turn this into an A/A* piece of work.
Quality of writing
The quality of this essay is exceptional, it is very well written, spelling and grammar are flawless, punctuation is used appropriately and there is a good range of vocabulary. Overall an excellent example of the work expected from a high grade candidate.
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