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
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
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
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
.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
'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
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;
comparison between presents from pakistan and blessings
Comparison - 'Blessing' vs. 'Presents From Pakistan' Kashif Hussain I am going to compare and contrast two poems, which are called 'Blessing' by Imtiaz Darker and 'Presents From Pakistan' by Moniza Alva. The two poems are similar because they both give a view of how they feel but differ because they talk about different incidents. One of the poems is about a country in southwest Asia and the other is about personal feelings. The poets are also linked with the countries. I know this because of their names therefore their parents or relative can be from Pakistan or India or around the same end. The poets show how s feels about other countries and how it affects them and their culture. Culture can be made up in different ways. Like Islam only allows Muslims to enter Saudi Arabia. This makes up a religious culture. Some people live by their race or ethnicity like in north Europe many people like to live with people from there and people who are the same colour as them. In some countries some people don't mind, they just live with a normal life style in their own world. In central Africa the majority of people live with a similar culture but they are differed because of the languages spoken. I am going to explore the elements of the poems, to see how they go along with cultures and how they give us an insight to other cultures. First of all the poem 'Blessing' is a poem that
English Literature Poems
English Literature Poems Compare the methods that 'Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan' employs to highlight the importance of cultural identity with another poem? I have chosen to compare 'Presents' and 'Hurricane' as both poems highlight the importance of cultural identity in society. Both poets 'Alvi' and 'Nicholas' employ many different and similar methods to illustrate the importance of cultural identity. The poem 'Presents' is about the writer herself at a younger age feeling insecure as she is of dual heritage (mixed race) 'in my English Grandmother's dining - room. In the poem the poet begins to conflict with herself as she believes that she is not of one set race 'I was there of no fixed nationality'. Throughout the poem the poet begins to show her insecurity as she begins to respond to the presents her aunties bought her from her native land negatively 'I could never be as lovely as those clothes'. A t the end of the poem the Alvi is unable to resolve her problem as she finishes the poem feeling rather down saying 'I was there of no fixed nationality'. The poem 'Hurricane' is rather similar in the way that it is again autobiographical. In the poem the writer is also in conflict with herself as she has left her motherland Guyana to move to England. At first the poet dreaded England but as soon as there was news of a Hurricane she began to feel much at home as
Explore the ways in which two or three of these poems present the experience of living between two cultures and the difficulties it causes.
Explore the ways in which two or three of these poems present the experience of living between two cultures and the difficulties it causes. The two poems I am choosing are "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan" and "Search for My Tongue". "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan" is written by Moniza Alvi, a woman who was born in Pakistan but moved to England at an early age. Her mother was from England and white, her Father was Pakistani and so black. This makes Moniza 'half-caste', as well as the aunts in poem being from her father's side. Her poem begins with a description of the gifts her aunts send her; "They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open..." The gifts are clothes in the typical Pakistani style, long tunic and loose trousers of blue and orange. Yet her indisposition towards the clothes is hinted at by her description of the first set of clothes. Peacock blue suggests that she feels like a peacock in them, showing off and flamboyant, something she doesn't want to be. They make her uncomfortable and self conscious. The next set of clothes show us the passage of time for Alvi with more clothes from her aunts. Yet as in England, and as she puts it, school, fashions change. The salwar bottoms are now broad and stiff then narrow towards the bottom. She tries on the clothes in sitting room, unwrapping them with her