‘Blessing’ (Edexcel IGCSE English Literature)

‘Blessing’

If you are revising Imtiaz Dharker’s poem ‘Blessing’ from the Edexcel International GCSE English Anthology (part 3: unit 1, section B), you’ll find support to develop your understanding of the poem: 

• Overview: a line-by-line breakdown of the poem

• Form, structure and language: an exploration of Imtiaz Dharker’s use of techniques and poetic choices

• Themes: a summary of the key themes and ideas in the poem

• Comparing poems: suggestions for anthology poems to compare ’Blessing’ to

Overview

Find out more about the poem to confidently answer an essay question in your exam by reading: 

• A summary of the poem 

• A “translation” of the poem, section-by-section

• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Dharker’s intention and message

A summary of the poem ‘Blessing’ 

‘Blessing’ was published in Imtiaz Dharker’s 1997 collection of poetry, Postcards from God. Set in India, the poem describes the sudden burst of a water pipe in a neighbourhood and the residents’ reaction to the water, offering an insight into their community and Dharker’s attitude towards inequality and poverty.

‘Blessing’ analysis

Lines 1–2

Translation

• The speaker of the poem introduces the setting and the lack of water (without specifically naming a place)

Dharker’s intention

• The poet begins with a simile to describe the dehydration that people are experiencing, suggesting a harsh climate:

  • Skin cracking “like a pod” links humanity to the powerful effect of nature 

• The repetition of the plosive “k” in “skin” and “cracks” mimics the dry, harsh landscape and suggests the damage to skin 

• Dharker offers an explanation in line two: there is not “enough water”

• The two-line stanza and short sentences reflect the scarcity of water

Lines 3–6

Translation

• The speaker addresses the reader and urges us to imagine the sound of precious water

Dharker’s intention

• The imperative “imagine” encourages the reader to empathise with the feelings of those suffering from dehydration, as if water has become a figment of their imagination

• Onomatopoeic words like “drip” and “small splash” convey just how scarce water is 

• Internal rhyme “in a tin mug” mimics the sound of dripping water, with the word “echo” highlighting the emptiness of the vessel:

  • The phrase also reinforces a sense of the community’s desperation as they strive to conserve water 

• The final line of the stanza, “the voice of a kindly god”, suggests that water is an act of divine mercy and kindness, linking back to the title of the poem: water is a “blessing”

• This stanza, like the first, is also very short, reflecting the shortage of water:

  • It might also convey the speaker’s attempt to conserve energy, as the heat and lack of water make it difficult for them to communicate

Lines 7–17

Translation

• The speaker describes occasions when a pipe bursts and how the community rushes to conserve the precious water 

Dharker’s intention

• The sibilant phrase “sudden rush” mirrors the sound and possibly the refreshing feeling of water and the caesura anticipates the burst of water from the pipe 

• The water is described metaphorically as “silver” that “crashes”:

  • The use of a dramatic description highlights how the residents view this accident as a precious blessing

• The speaker describes people as a “congregation” who leave their “huts” to run to the free-flowing water:

  • This reinforces the almost religious nature of the event 

  • Dharker reminds us of the deprivation of those who live in “huts” and the reader questions whether the water supply is due to climate change or economic inequality

• The omission of commas in the phrase “every man woman/child” mimics the rush of the water and people 

• The final line of this stanza is just two words long, “frantic hands”, emphasising the residents’ desperation and hysteria upon receiving the blessing of water

• The stanza length, line lengths and use of enjambment convey the fast movement of people and water

Lines 18–23

Translation

• The final stanza describes the joy of children celebrating the water’s arrival but also reinforces their poverty and vulnerability

Dharker’s intention

• Words and phrases like “naked children”, “screaming” and “small bones” reminds the reader of the suffering, poverty and fragility of the children 

• In contrast, Dharker juxtaposes these phrases with a metaphor of “liquid sun” and textural, glowing language to describe water such as “polished to perfection” or “flashing light” to suggest beauty, renewal and vitality

• The personification of the “blessing” singing over the children’s “small bones” illustrates the importance of the water and the magnitude of the “blessing” they receive:

  • It is a reminder of water’s scarcity, which offers only temporary relief

  • Ironically, their salvation may be due to a human flaw, such as a pipe bursting, rather than divine intervention

Form, structure and language 

When you consider how Imtiaz Dharker uses form, structure and language, try to link your analysis of these elements to focus on how she present her ideas and why she has made these choices in ‘Blessing’. You will gain more marks if you focus on Dharker’s themes rather than on individual poetic techniques. 

Here are some suggestions for key aspects of the poem you might want to consider: 

Form

The poem ‘Blessing’ is a free verse poem, divided into four stanzas of uneven length.

Structure

The poem is written in 23 lines, divided into four stanzas of uneven length. 

Language

The poem is narrated in the third person and due to the lack of inclusive pronouns, it can be inferred that the speaker is an outsider, observing the community.

Themes

While knowing the poem is important, you also need to show the examiner that you can write an informed, personal response. Understanding the main themes, ideas, setting and events depicted can help you to form your own ideas about what you think the poet is trying to achieve. 

While you are not explicitly assessed on context, it is still important that you have an awareness of any background information that is relevant to the main themes in the poem. This can help you to demonstrate a sustained, critical understanding of the text.

To help you do this, consider the two main themes that Dharker explores in 'Blessing':

• Deprivation and poverty

• Religion, hope and blessings
  

Deprivation and poverty

• Imtiaz Dharker published ‘Blessing’ in 1997 as part of her collection called Postcards from God

• Although the setting is not explicitly stated, Dharker based the poem on a slum in India where the residents live in poverty

• From the very start of the poem, the speaker establishes that the poem is about an impoverished community desperate for water, setting the scene by describing the impact of dehydration 

• The scarcity of water is a key motif in the poem, with the use of religious references powerfully conveying the importance of water to the community: it is a “blessing” to those who have so little 

• Dharker highlights the poverty and deprived conditions of people throughout the poem: 

  • People live in “huts” and the children are “naked” with “small bones”, suggesting their malnourishment and deprivation 

• A burst pipe is presented as a semi-religious event and a dramatic event: 

  • The use of the word “congregation” and the phrase “frantic hands” highlights the desperation of the residents to capture the precious water 

  • The choice of the verb “screaming” describes the children’s reactions, which conveys both their joy and desperation 

Religion, hope and blessings

• The poem’s title reflects the way the deprived community views water:

  • It is a symbol of life and a source of sustenance

• Water also has religious links as it can symbolise purity, holiness and cleanliness or the washing away of sins:

  • In Hinduism, people purify themselves in the river Ganges to wash away their sins

• In the second stanza, water is imagined but linked to the “voice of a kindly god”:

  • This highlights its significance and importance within the community

• The third stanza highlights the reactions of the residents as the “sudden rush” of water results in an extreme and joyous reaction:

  • Water is viewed by the residents as miraculous, a “fortune”

• Dharker’s use of religious references conveys the idea that water is a blessing, an act of mercy from God

• The structure of the poem also reflects the idea of water being a blessing:

  • At the beginning of the poem, the stanzas are short and brief to reflect the lack of water and the struggle with dehydration as if the words are also dried up

  • However, when the pipe bursts, the stanzas are longer and the use of line length and enjambment reflects the flow and “rush” of the precious water

Comparing poems

In your exam, you will be required to compare two poems from the anthology so you must have a good knowledge of poetic form, content and meaning to compare the poems effectively. 

You must be able to explore links and connections between texts, which includes looking at both poets’ use of language, form and structure. 

In ‘Blessing’, Dharker’s main ideas are centred around hope and poverty so the following comparisons would be a good starting point:

• ‘Blessing’ and ‘War Photographer’

• ‘Blessing’ and ‘The Tyger’

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• Comparison summary 

• Similarities and differences between the ideas presented in each poem

• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

‘Blessing’ and ‘War Photographer’

Comparison summary:

Both poems are about the suffering of people who live in deprived areas of the world. Dharker highlights the poverty of people living in a slum in India and their joy at receiving water. Duffy highlights the hardships of people in war-torn, deprived areas by focusing on a photographer who has taken pictures of people in deprived and poverty-stricken parts of the world.

Similarities:

Differences:

‘Blessing’ and ‘The Tyger’

Comparison summary:

‘Blessing’ is a poem that explores the effect of water on a poverty-stricken community and the implication that a burst pipe is a blessing from God. ‘The Tyger’ explores the idea of God’s creation, which is conveyed through the speaker’s observations.

Similarities:

Differences: