Poetry - Living Space

Question 1

Who wrote living space

Answer 1

Imtiaz Dharker

Question 2

Living space context

Answer 2

Slums, personal heritage as a Scottish Pakistani who travels widely, comments on issues and dangers inherent in living in poor and dangerous conditions in Mumbai slums.

Question 3

Living space form

Answer 3

Simplistic manner - mimics the simple lives of the building’s inhabitants due to their destitution.
Free verse shows a lack of building coordination and dangers of living in the building.

Question 4

Living space comparisons

Answer 4

Themes in Living Space
Humans ability to adapt, cramped and dangerous conditions, ethical problems.

London - how place is presented

Question 5

‘not enough straight lines’

Answer 5

Lack of straight lines is a metaphor for the fragility of their lives.
Properly constructed buildings with perpendicular walls and sturdy ceilings are secure.
These lives are not.

Question 6

‘Nails clutch at open seams.’

Answer 6

‘Clutch’ - material verb - The nails are personified and seem to want to join the structure more solidly.
Implies that they are desperately reaching forward.
However there is nothing for them to grasp, only ‘open seams’.

Question 7

‘the bright, thin walls of faith’

Answer 7

Metaphor - eggs are a symbol of hope.
Adjective of ‘bright’ eggs juxtaposition with the ‘dark edge/ of a slanted universe.’
They stand out as something white, pure and whole against a broken dark world.

Question 8

What is the main message in Living Space?

Answer 8

Life is precious and we should be more humanitarian and see the beauty of people managing to make a home out of nothing.

Question 9

Use of enjambment in Living space.

Answer 9

Dharker uses enjambment throughout this poem with lines spilling over into one another.
This reflects the way the slum structures lean over and on top of each other.

Question 10

Living Space title

Answer 10

Being squashed into insufficient space, living in a shanty town and feeling lucky to even have shelter.