Commentary on "Blessing" by Imtiaz Dharker

Dharkar uses onomatopoeia, which is a word that imitates a sound, throughout the entire poem. At the beginning the word “cracks” (1) represents the dry and withered earth, which is then replaced by the words “drip” and “splash” (3), which are also examples of onomatopoeia, highlighting the need, the desire for water. These words emphasize the desperate need for liquid, that only a tiny amount is cherished and desired. Therefore “drip” illustrates only a tiny amount. This is exemplified by the fact that when reading the poem these three words are sounds, made briefly and only once. This in turn, juxtaposes the sounds that occur in the third stanza: “The sudden rush of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts, silver crashes to the ground....roar of tongues” (7-11). These examples of onomatopoeia are very different from the earlier ones, the sound much more loud, violent, and much stronger. They are appropriate, considering the situation of people rushing towards the sudden burst of water, the mere occurrence of it a miracle. The peoples emotions are wild and excited, emphasized by onomatopoeia and the strong contrast it poses to the sounds from the first two stanzas. Another literary feature Dharkar uses to effectively accentuate the excitement is sibilance: “sometimes the sudden rush...pipe bursts, silver crashes... every child for streets around butts in with pots, brass” (7-15). Because sibilance is the repetition of the sound ‘s’ it gives it a hissing sound that creates an air of mystery in this scene. The pairings of these sounds and the difference between them effectively portray the succession of events, which all prove the clear desperation for water.

Another technique Dharkar uses to emphasize the lack of water is with imagery. Firstly he describes very strong images like “naked children screaming in the liquid sun, their highlights polished to perfection” (18-20). Here the naked children are exposed to the burning “liquid” sun. By using a reference to water Dharkar poses the illusion of the sun being so hot that it is liquid, and in turn creating the irony that the object creating the draught is in fact (or compared as) the substance most needed. This image is very powerful also because it evokes a sense of anguish and suffering mainly through the word “children screaming”. It also elicits pity in the reader since the children are symbolized as vulnerable, due to their nakedness and risk to be burned by the sun. Here, the references to the sun recurring as “flashing light” (21) strengthens and emphasizes its deadliness, and the fact that you cannot hide from it. This in turn draws attention to the concept of the need of water in times where the sun is so strong.