GCSE English Essay - I am not that woman and still I Rise comparison

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                                                                                            English Coursework

Essay on poem

Compare and contrast the representation of oppression in “I Am Not That Woman” and “Still I Rise”.

                                                                                                                                                               

        In the poem “I Am Not That Woman” the writer Kishwar Naheed expresses her opinion and knowledge on how woman in her culture are treated. Throughout the motion of this poem the writer seems to be trying to send a message to all men - in particular men from her culture and possibly someone from real life experience. The writer is an Asian woman, most likely to be Pakistani considering that this poem was translated from Urdu (Pakistan’s national language). She was born in 1940 in the town Bulandshahr which is in India. She was born and brought up in a traditional family where the atmosphere always favoured men over woman. The message she gives through this particular poem is an objection, what is that objection is a mystery soon to be uncovered. It is also interesting uncovering how Naheed expresses her objection through the poem, she does this in an unorthodox but interesting fashion.

        Straight away from the poem the phrase “I am not that woman” tells us something about the poems purpose. This certain phrase has been mentioned at the beginning, end and most effectively and importantly is the title of the poem. Overall the phrase has been used in the form of repetition and is a phrase that will be remembered and associated with the poem, so in other words this line is effective and important. The actual meaning that the phrase expresses tells us that she is objecting to something. The key word “woman” tells us that she is objecting to something about woman. Going into more detail she possibly may objecting to something that lots of woman are, only by studying the poem further will tell us what exactly she is objecting to. The phrase “I am not that woman” also tells us that she is speaking in first person narrative therefore, shows that the poem is very personal.      

        The first line in the poem reads, “I am not that woman selling you socks and shoes!” In this line Naheed is trying to say that she is not a slave. When she says “Selling Socks and shoes!” she maybe referring to supplying socks and shoes to her husband. This is most likely what she is trying to say, that she is not a slave that will give you your socks and shoes. It also is known that she wants this point to stand out and to be heard as she ends the sentence with an explanation mark. The next part of the poem says “Remember me, I am the one you hid in your walls of stone, while you roamed free as the breeze”. This line shows some particular words that tell us about Naheed’s oppression. This line basically is saying that someone has kept her in the home, while that someone has been “roaming free as the breeze” meaning out of the house whenever that person wants. We know it is someone making her do this when she said “You hid” and “You roamed”. This links to the first lines where she felt she was being treated like a slave. Someone is treating her like a slave and trapping her from the world. This is basically what Naheed’s oppression is. In the last line of that first part and paragraph of the poem Naheed said, “not knowing that my voice cannot be smothered by stones”. This line is very powerful as it shows that she has a strong and courageous character.

The first line in the next stanza of the poem reads, “I am the one you crushed with the weight of custom and tradition”. This represents the way her oppression has come upon her, “by custom and tradition”. This gives the impression that her culture has brought her oppression upon her. We already know that she is Asian, this may link to maybe her husband or father treating her badly because of culture traditions. The next line reads, “not knowing that light cannot be hidden in darkness”. This is a very powerful and effective line. She is trying to represent herself as the “light” that cannot be hurt or smothered by the “darkness” which represents maybe her husband or father who is bringing this pain upon her. The next phrase used in this poem is “Remember me”. This phrase was also used in the first paragraph. It shows that this poem is directed at someone who has caused her oppression in the past. It also shows that all of what Naheed is writing about in this poem is from past experience. Hence, Naheed has undergone a huge change in her character. The next part of the poem reads, “I am the one in whose lap you picked flowers and planted thorns and embers not knowing that chains cannot smother my fragrance.” These lines represent special words and phrases that represent particular things. The word “flowers” shows that someone has taken away some happiness away from her. “Planted thorns and ember” represents the soreness and pain that this someone has brought upon her replacing the happiness that has been taking away. The last part of this quote shows how strong her character is. “Chains cannot smother my fragrance” meaning the pain cannot take away the good inside me. So far we have seen Naheed use effective language such as the uses of metaphors to represent her oppression. An example of this would be “Planted thorns and embers” which represent and describe the pain, which Naheed has felt.

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        The next paragraph starts of by saying “I am the woman whom you bought and sold in the name of my own chastity”. This line shows that the person who had brought oppression upon Naheed is her father. When it says “whom you bought” probably means whom you created which could represent a father. It then clarifies it is her father by saying “and sold in the name of my own chastity”. This line means that she has been “sold” meaning married off because of her “chastity” meaning her virginity. “I am the woman whom…” shows that this whole ...

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