Blessing by Imtiaz Dharker Blessing is a poem

‘Blessing’ by Imtiaz Dharker ‘Blessing’ is a poem about a society that does not have enough water. The poem is set in Dharavi, which is on the outskirts of Mumbai. Dharavi is a place of temporary housing and as it is an unofficial settlement, water is always scarce.

The skin cracks like a pod. There is never enough water. Lack of water is a constant problem. This is what the poem is about. Simile – shows how dry the environment is.

On o sm mat all op so oei un a Th ds e. i y m ha ag ar vin in e g w ing at er. Imagine the drip of it, the small splash, echo

ed b i c r d. s d e f g o l e in s r i c e o p us. e a t vo i h e p l ig io w e h e s t re h T s t o w a re a sh m s e i o Th e p th in a tin mug, the voice of a kindly god. Water is personified.

Sometimes, the sudden rush of fortune. The municipal pipe bursts, silver crashes to the ground Water is described as being precious and valuable.

Roar = loud sound vs “drip” in line 3. and the flow has found a roar of tongues. From the huts, a congregation: every man woman child for streets around in s a n m m ma d” – o e c y l o ver chi s th N e n “ a ise m as h. o w ph rus em The word “congregation” emphasises that this is a religious society.

butts in, with pots, brass, copper, aluminium, plastic buckets, frantic hands, They are desperat e for water. Che a – in p mat poo dicat erials e r Com soci s a et p wa ter are t y. o –s ilve r.

and naked children screaming in the liquid sun, their highlights polished to perfection, flashing light, as the blessings over their small bones.