Tissue

Question 1

What is the significance of the 9 stanzas and the final one-line stanza?

Answer 1

It symbolizes fragility and the idea that things we think are strong (like brick buildings) are actually weak like tissue/paper.

Question 2

Why does the poem use enjambment and free verse?

Answer 2

It mimics the flow of natural thought, reflecting life’s unpredictability and fluidity.

Question 3

How is paper used as a metaphor?

Answer 3

It represents skin and human life—fragile, temporary, but powerful.

Question 4

What does the final line “turned into your skin” suggest?

Answer 4

It personalizes the message, connecting global ideas of fragility to the individual.

Question 5

What is the effect of the repeated word ‘transparent’?

Answer 5

It implies that truth, honesty, and even spirituality (light, God) come from openness.

Question 6

What are the central ideas of the poem?

Answer 6

Fragility of life, temporary power, importance of transparency, and contrast between man-made things and nature.

Question 7

“the sun shines through / their borderlines” – What does this image imply?

Answer 7

It suggests how nature transcends human boundaries like maps and borders—nature is stronger than human constructs.

Question 8

“maps too. The sun shines through their borderlines” – How does this link to conflict?

Answer 8

It shows how human divisions (e.g., countries, wars) are insignificant compared to natural forces like sunlight.