‘Blessing’ by Imtiaz Dharker‘Blessing’ is a poem about a society that does not have enough water.

The poem is set in Dharavi, Mumbai’s largest slum.

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. Simile – shows how

dry the environment

is.

Lack of water is a constant

problem. This is what the poem is

about.

Imagine the drip of it,the small splash, echo

Onomatopoei

a - small sounds.They are

imagining

having water.

in a tin mug,

the voice of a kindly god.

The water is

described as t

he

voice of g

od. This

shows t

he people in

the poem are

religious.

Water is personified.

Sometimes, the sudden rushof fortune. The municipal pipe bursts,silver crashes to the ground

Water is described as being precious and

valuable.

and the flow has founda roar of tongues. From the huts,a congregation: every man womanchild for streets around

No com

mas i

n

“eve

ry m

an

woman ch

ild” –

emphasis

es the

rush

.

Roar = loud sound vs “drip” in line 3.

The word “congregation” emphasises that this is a

religious society.

butts in, with pots,brass, copper, aluminium,plastic buckets,frantic hands,

Cheap materials –

indicates a

poor society.

Compare to

water – silver.

They are desperate for water.

and naked childrenscreaming in the liquid sun,their highlights polished to perfection,flashing light,as the blessing singsover their small bones.