Blessing Imtiaz Dharker's poem can be read in two ways. A straightforward reading might suggest that the poem is simply a description of an incident when a pipe bursts and people run excitedly for the water.

The title of the poem appears to be ironic.

These people are not blessed - they have little water of their own. Only superstition could lead them to count this 'municipal pipe' burst as a blessing.

In reality, it shows the poor state of the pipes, part of the city's basic infrastructure, pipes that should be carrying water to the people. The fact that the people live in 'huts', that the children are 'naked' and that everyone is 'frantic' for the water tell us a lot about the living conditions.

There is a lot of sensual imagery in this poem. Mainly we hear and see the unfolding scene.

These details show us what the people's lives are like. In the following table are some of the visual details with explanations of what they tell us about the lives of the people, and some analysis of the effect of the lines.

However, the analysis only offers a mostly 'positive' reading of the poem: That the burst pipe is a stroke of good fortune.

Quote:

What it tells us:

Effect:

The skin cracks like a pod

That there is very little water, and that the burst pipe is therefore a bit of luck.

The skin could refer metaphorically to the earth. In this case an image of broken drought stricken land comes to mind.

Imagine the drip of it . . . the voice of a kindly god.

The people are devout and religious, appreciating what's given to them.

We are made to see something we think of as ordinary as something precious.

Silver crashes to the ground

The water is precious

The water is seen as being very positive - it is like winning the lottery.

From the huts,/ a congregation

The people are orderly and religious

They appreciate what God has done for them

Naked children

The society is not embarrassed by nudity

The children are excited, exuberant and are enjoying the water

Highlights polished to perfection

The children have expensive hair-cuts

This is an image of brightness and energy

As the blessing sings/ over their small bones

The people are happy and singing. Children are small

They need the water and count it as a blessing.

Frantic hands

They all want the water

They are all excited

Notice how the poem builds from its first two-line stanza to the central incident and the commotion.

This build up of rhythm and pace is also created by the end stopping of the first two lines - the full stops after 'pod' and 'water', and the commas and end-stopping of the second stanza; three commas and a full-stop in four lines

Subject

The poem is about an incident where a pipe bursts and a whole community rush to collect the water.

At first it seems just an exciting occasion vividly brought to life.

However from the first line there is a sense of something darker, and harder hitting.

The layers of the poem reflect the way different people will see the same scene/culuture differently.

Attitude

The poet appears at first to be objective, describing but not commenting on the incident. And to some extent she leaves the reader to decide the feeling and meaning of the poem. Perhaps though there is horror and pity in that opening image of skin cracking 'like a pod'. To me the poem seems like a lament for the poverty of these people and for the value system that keeps them poor, yet humble and thankful.

Style

Dharker uses sensual imagery to evoke the scene, and builds the rhythm of the poem into a crescendo at the bursting of the pipe. She uses an extended metaphor, comparing water to a god. She makes lines intentionally ambiguous, uncertain, so that the scene can be interpreted in more than one way.