discuss the feelings in the poem my ants from pakistan

Discuss how the girl feels in the poem 'my aunts from Pakistan'. The poem is about a girl who was born in Pakistan. She came to England when she was small. When she got older she received gifts from her aunts in Pakistan. She received traditional Pakistani clothes. When ever she thought about her nationalities she did not feel whole. The poem was written to show how the girl felt when her friends laughed at her clothes. It was written because if we were in that situation what would we do? Would we be unhappy or happy? This confused her about her split identity of half Asian, half British. There are a lot of different emotions in the poem. The girl feels confused about her nationalities. She says, 'my costume clung to me', when she tries on the salwar kameez she feels like it doesn't suit her. It's like wearing a costume. The girl feels embarrassed when her friend asks her to see her 'weekend clothes'. The structure of the poem is a free verse this means there is no set structure. This reflects the confusion about her identity. The lines are short, this also shows her confusion. There are lots of images in the poem to do with colour, 'peacock-blue', apple green saree' this shows how colour full and bright Pakistan is and compared to the dull denims and corduroy of Britain. Some of the images about Pakistan are not very good 'camel skin lamp' she thinks about how cruel

  • Word count: 610
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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presents from my aunts in pakistan How does the poet express her unresolved conflict of identity in the poem?

Presents from My Aunts in Pakistan How does the poet express her unresolved conflict of identity in the poem? Presents from my aunts in Pakistan was written by Moniza Alvi in the late 1950's and is about a Pakistani born girl with an English mother and a Pakistani father. They migrated to England only a couple of months into her life, now sensing that she is 'of no fixed nationality' and living in two worlds. The Poet compares the exotic presents she receives with what she had seen at her school. The presents seem to form a link to an alternative way of life in Lahore, her birth place. Moniza Alvi writes about herself at thirteen unsure about her ethnic group. Her aunts send her three tunics from Pakistan, one peacock blue, one orange and the other apple-green for her teenage years. She also receives a pair of black slippers laced with gold embroidery. A set of glass wristlets were given to Moniza but when she tried them on one snapped drawing blood from her wrists. The poet explains that like in the UK, fashions changed, the salwar bottoms she received were narrow, when they used to be broad and stiff. When she tries her new outfits on for the first time she feels out of the ordinary, an 'alien in the sitting-room' and doesn't think she suited the clothes. She feels that wearing the clothes in the British culture she has grown up to recognize would be inappropriate;

  • Word count: 850
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The poem Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan, by Moniza Alvi, is about a girl who has emigrated from Pakistan to Britain

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan The poem "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan", by Moniza Alvi, is about a girl who has emigrated from Pakistan to Britain. In the poem, she describes the presents her Pakistan aunts send her, and how she left her home country at a young age. It is set in England in the present day. The form of the poem seems to be quite random - the stanzas are irregular and there is a mixture of short and longer lines. The poet makes use of dashes to indicate pauses when reading aloud, along with regular full stops. There are many different types of language used in the poem. An imaginative simile is "glistening like an orange split open", in reference to the girls' salwar kameez. This conveys an image of brightness and freshness. If an orange was cut in half, you would be able to see all the juice inside, shining and sparkling. This could perhaps relate to decorative jewels on the salwar kameez. A metaphor is used when the girl speaks about a war involving her country - she refers to it as "a fractured land". The word "fractured" is usually used when talking about broken bones. The girl may feel that although it is her country that is broken, she feels broken inside. In the first sentence, "snapped" is onomatopoeia - it creates an effect of something actually being snapped through what the word sounds like. Rhyme is not used in the poem, but repetition

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Through my essay I attempt to explore three poems about nostalgia by three different poets. Theses three poems are "Half Past Two" by U.A. Fanthorpe, "An Unknown Girl" by Moniza Alvi and "Piano" by D. H. Lawrence.

Nostalgia is a universal theme for all world poets. Through my essay I attempt to explore three poems about nostalgia by three different poets. Theses three poems are "Half Past Two" by U.A. Fanthorpe, "An Unknown Girl" by Moniza Alvi and "Piano" by D. H. Lawrence. The first poem of my choice is "An Unknown Girl" by Moniza Alvi. This poem is about a strange encounter the poet has had with "an unknown girl" in India. This encounter left a strange strong impact on Moniza Alvi to the extent that she was always nostalgic for India. She felt that her experience there was a queer and illuminating kind of experience which became carved in her memory forever giving her the atmosphere and smell of the strange intriguing land. The setting of the poem is a bazaar in India. It is in a huge area filled with lights and noises. The place itself is crowded and "studded with neon". The poet has "an unknown girl" hennaing her hand. In "hennaing my hand" we have an alliteration adding nostalgic music to the poem as the poet yearned for the unique experience. The poet is sensuous engaging our sense of sight with her vivid descriptions and graphic details of the "bazaar". She also engages our sense of hearing with her alliterations. She also engages our sense of touch as in "a wet brown line" and description of the girl's "satin-peach knee". The whole procedure of "hennaing" is described

  • Word count: 2016
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Analyse "presents from my aunts in Pakistan" in terms of content, themes and language.

Analyse "presents from my aunts in Pakistan" in terms of content, themes and language Both of these poems are in some way about an individual experiencing more than one cultural identity. These cultures are either conflicted or they have merged together within the person. "Presents from my aunts in Pakistan" by moniza alvi explores her sense of a shared culture by using the experience of receiving ethnic clothes as presents from Pakistan. These colourful clothes are very exotic and beautiful and they signify something greater. For instance, peacock blue symbolises the attractiveness and boldness of the clothes. The term peacock blue suggests that the clothes are bursting with pride and only there for display. A lot of the imagery used in the beginning of the poem is based on food: such as an orange split open, candy striped bangles, apple green. These are all sweet foods and in a way, they describe the sweetness of the clothes. However, it says "the candy striped bangles, snapped and drew blood" perhaps this suggests how her tradition harms the poet and how impractical it is for her to wear them for the active life of a woman in the west. She feels awkward wearing these clothes and bangles and feels that denim and corduroy would e more appropriate. In contrast, the relatives would like conventional English clothes. Being in England, the poet feels alienated by wearing the

  • Word count: 625
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Moniza Alvi Poem meaning

Moniza alvi was born in lahore pakistian she moved to hertfordshire when she was a few months old where she grew.she went to the unviersity of york where she studed english. Peacock Luggage, a book of poems by Moniza Alvi and Peter Daniels, was published as a result of the two poets winning together the Poetry Business Prize in 1991 for her poem 'Presents from my aunts in Pakistan'. Since then, Moniza Alvi has written four poetry collections. John Agard was born in 1949 in Guyana. He wrote is first poem at the age of 16.Agard worked for chronicle newspaper as a sub editor and moved to England in 1977.1997 Agard won the Paul hamlyn award for poetry he traveled extensively thought performing his poetry. Although Agard lived in England since 1978 his imagination is still deeply Caribbean. "Half-caste" is poem that challenges language .it challenges the term "half-caste" and asks the reader to think how the term can be offensive. Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan is a poem about a young girl of mixed race and the difficulty she finds with fitting in, or feeling apart of either the Pakistani or the English culture. The young girl in the poem is describing gifts that were sent to her in England from Pakistan. The presents from Pakistan are beautiful but the girl feels awkward wearing them, feeling that "denim and corduroy" would be more suitable. Whereas in contrast the

  • Word count: 753
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The speakers in both poems are living in England, buthave been reminded in different ways of the other countries in whichthey were born. Discuss the different ways that each poet is remindedof their birthplace.

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan and Hurricane Hits England The speakers in both poems are living in England, but have been reminded in different ways of the other countries in which they were born. Discuss the different ways that each poet is reminded of their birthplace. Moniza Alvi was born in Pakistan but moved to England when she was very young. 'Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan' is an autobiographical poem, which shows how she is reminded of her birthplace by gifts that are sent from her Aunts in India. The 'salwar kameez peacock blue' and 'another glistening like an orange split open' remind her of the colourful traditional costume worn by her relatives in Pakistan. The 'embossed slippers' and 'candy-striped glass bangles' complete the exotic look and as she tries on the traditional Indian costume she feels 'alien in the sitting room'. In the typical English setting the clothes cling awkwardly to her and she thinks about her origins. 'I couldn't rise up out of its fire half-English unlike Aunt Jamila' Despite having been born in Pakistan she no longer feels a part of that culture and there is a sense of disorientation with regard to her nationality. She describes how her own mother respected and felt passionate about her Indian jewellery; reminders of her culture. Alvi states with great sadness how the jewellery her mother 'cherished' was stolen from the

  • Word count: 627
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Comparing three poems, discuss the theme of life in other cultures.

Comparing three poems, discuss the theme of life in other cultures Presents from my aunts in Pakistan The poem "Presents from my aunts in Pakistan" is about a half English, half Pakistani Girl who was born in Pakistan and brought up in England. Her Aunts in Pakistan sent her some traditional Pakistani clothes. In private she loves the clothes but she doest what to show her friends because she thinks that her friend won't like them. The poets' thoughts and feelings change throughout the poem. In lines 1-19 the girl is happy and grateful "glistening like an orange split open" (line 4) this is an optimistic image, the presents seem to be exhilarating, stunning and full of assurance. In lines 20-26 the girl feels she can't wear these clothes because she is "half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila."(Lines 25 and 26). Lines 27-38 show two sides to her. One side by her saying "I wanted my parent's camel skin lamp." (Line 27) where she is attracted to but at the same time repelled from "to consider the cruelty" (line 29) but then in line 32 back to attracted to the lamp "to marvel at the colours" (line 32). Lines 40-44 is about her in her bed room trying to show off her clothes but her friend isn't impressed "asked to see my weekend clothes." (Line 42-43) Lines 50-end are meant to be about the girl searching from somewhere she belongs "And I was there with no fixed nationality" she

  • Word count: 945
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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'Presents from my aunts in Pakistan' - review

'Presents from my aunts in Pakistan' The subject of the poem "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan" is that, a girl who was born in Pakistan and who has been growing up in England in an English way of life. One day when she was aware that she is going to get some gifts from her beloved aunts living in Pakistan she expected to get some ordinary western style of clothes I.e. denim and corduroy, but unfortunately she received some Pakistani styled clothes I.e. salwar kameez, Indian jewellery and sarees. So, this poem totally describes how she reacted and felt towards the incident happened. The purpose of the poem "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan" is that the girl who has been described in the poem has been born in Pakistan and brought up in England in the English way of life and in parallel to their style of living. And when she received some gifts from Pakistan in Pakistani style she feels that these things are so far to be worn in England because it's so far from the English's style of living in comparison with the Pakistani's style of living. And when she tried to wear that on in her English styled bedroom she felt like as though there has been an alien in her room. So, the purpose is that how she feels different and as an alien from the gifts received. The emotions of this poem are feeling alienation, different, feeling embarrassment, disappointment and love and

  • Word count: 815
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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.Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi

.'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 as well as the line lengths which are thrown randomly across the page. Alvi uses these poetic strategies to show how she varies from confusion to resignation about where she belongs and her feelings of alienation. There are end stopped lines to describe her sudden emotions. It

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