Tanya Agrawal

ISPAHAN CARPET- Elizabeth Burge

The poem “Ispahan Carpet” has been written by Elizabeth Burge. The poem has been written by the point of view of an outsider, probably a tourist who has been greatly saddened by the working conditions in Persia. In the poem, the poet describes a poor Persian family who weaves carpet for their living. And this is nothing new to them as it is like a tradition being passed down the generations. It is evident when poet says, “Following the guides of colored wool upon the warp left by their aunts and sisters.”

The main theme present in the poem is of child labor and how children are still being forced into slavery in some parts of society. Then there are few minor themes like dark versus light, beauty versus ugliness and interior versus exterior world. The family also represents a very strong symbol of unity as they work together but again this aspect or rather their quality is not recognized by the outsider. The outsider would only appreciate the external beauty of the carpet. Even in the poem, “the flickering fire” shadows the makers, representing that people make the carpet out of very little or no value as compared to the carpet itself. This is also a case of irony which the poet has used very well to put forth this bitter truth.

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The title of the poem, “Ispahan Carpet”, is appropriate for the poem because the first impression of the word carpet is the intricate detailing involved in its weaving. It signifies the hard work those little girls put in in the making of that carpet but which is disregarded by the other people as evident in the lines, “ …for the space a foot will crush down ”.

The poet begins the poem by the use of dark and negative words. These words clearly signify the author’s or rather the poem’s plaintive mood. He also refers to the pots as the ...

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