Poetry: Honour Killing

Question 1

Honour Killing

Her taking off the next piece of clothing as the second stanza starts

Line 8-10

Answer 1

‘* Im taking off this veil/the black veil of a face/ that made me faithless’*
- juxtaposition of faith and faithless conveys her resentment of enforced faith which in her eyes is the very opposite of what religion should be
- LNK ‘god a devil’s face’

Question 2

Honour Killing

General Stanza Opening Pattern

Answer 2

‘Im taking off..’
‘Let’s see’
- confidence echoed through regular opening of verse, a metaphor of rejection and shows she knows what she is doing and backs herself

Question 3

Honour Killing

The first line in Honour Killing

Line 1-2

Answer 3

‘At last I’m taking off this coat /this black coat of a country’
- Opening adverbial at last adds sense of relief as Dharker battles to find her own identity
- ‘taking off her coat conveys her immense bravery as ‘coat’ has connotations of protection and warmth which she removes showing rejection of culture and belief forced onto her
- coat also seems heavy so seems like a weight on top of her

Question 4

Honour Killing

Second Last stanza of the poem

Line 25-28

Answer 4

‘Lets see/What I am in here/When I squeeze past /the easy cage of bone’
- ‘easy’ shows renewed confidence
- ‘ Let’s to Let us’ invites reader’s involvement in the excitement she feels being free from all the constraints of religion, nationality and gender echoed due to present tense, use of ‘us’ (no gender)

Question 5

Honour Killing

Dictator Description in Honour Killing

Line 15-17

Answer 5

‘Lacy things that feed dictator dreams’
- Imagery of men, as dictators in their context of women - verb ‘feed’ conveys parasitic relationship as Dharker denounces all means of control by men
- Harsh alliteration in ‘dictator dreams’ voices her hatred of male dominance

Question 6

Honour Killing

Disembodied Dharker in the poem

Line 21-24

Answer 6

‘I’m taking off this skin/ and the face, the flesh and the womb’
- Shocking imagery of disembodiment shows Dharker does not want to be judged as she strips everything of herself including her biological purpose

Question 7

Honour Killing

Physical Restraint and Juxtaposition in Honour Killing

Line 12-14

Answer 7

‘Tied my mouth/gave my god a devil’s face’
- shocking visual imagery of physical restraint shows blatant lack of freedom of speech and rights
- juxtaposition of God and Devil in close proximity shows hostility towards honour killings and unholy effect on Islam, good is bad
- LNK faith made me faithless