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Introduction

"Compare the ways an event is descried in blessing with one other poem." In 'Blessing' there is one main event; a municipal water pipe bursts upon a dry desert like country suffering from drought. In this essay I will be comparing the way Imtiaz Dharker describes the main event in 'Blessing' and the way Grace Nichols describes the main event in 'Island Man.' 'Blessing' is a poem about a hot, dry country, suffering from water drought and poverty, and how one day a miracle happens and a water pipe bursts spreading excitement and happiness everywhere. 'Island Man' is about a man who has come from peaceful island life to a busy city life in London, and how he always dreams of his island until he wakes up each day and remembers he is no longer there. I believe the structure of the stanzas in blessing are very closely related to the theme of water in Blessing. For example the first stanza is 2 lines long; this could symbolize the fact that there is drought, poverty, and very little; how there 'never is enough water'. ...read more.

Middle

Island Man does also show a development of an event through language however it is shown through use of repetition; 'groggily groggily', 'muffling muffling'. By use of repetition on these words we see Island Man's gradual recovery from his false sense of reality, his dreams, and it seems as if he cannot quite believe it or is reluctant to acknowledge the fact that he is just in a busy city now. Both poems show a sense of new life. Grace Nichols describes the waves as 'breaking and wombing'. This makes the waves seem new every time and imagery of waves breaking free is created. . This could show how Island man has a new dull repetitive life in London and how he misses Island life. In the last stanza of Blessing Imtiaz Dharker describes the children as 'naked', 'screaming in the liquid sun.' By describing the children as naked it creates a feeling of innocence, naivety, and youth; new skin, new waves Blessing and Island Man both use language effects to emphasize the imagery and flow of the poem. ...read more.

Conclusion

This shows how Island Man feels about both places, preferring his old island much more to the 'dull North Circular roar.' Blessing also has some contrasts within it when the water is portrayed as very little 'echo, in a tin mug'. Tin is not an expensive material and is not very valuable. However when the water pipe bursts and the flow is so mighty, the words 'silver', and 'highlights polished to perfection' appear. By associating the water with these words it contrasts on how vast the amount of water there was when the pipe exploded compared to before the miracle happened. The main events in both poems are described using structural and language devices to create imagery and make them flow well. I prefer the poem 'Blessing' as the climax creates such imagery. The poem is full of descriptions and metaphors and in the final stanza in the climax when it says 'as the blessing sings over their small bones' I think it finishes the poem perfectly as it relieves the audience of all the build up of excitement from the water and leaves them satisfied with reading the poem. ?? ?? ?? ?? Jessica Holland 10Y ...read more.

This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Imtiaz Dharker: Blessing section.