Presents From My Aunts In Pakistan - Moniza Alvi

Presents From My Aunts In Pakistan - Moniza Alvi

Learning Objectives As we study this poem you will learn: The story of the poem Cultural alienation More about the terms, Metaphor: Tone: Key Phrases & Colour Imagery. You will also complete some mini tasks, a test and an assignment on the poem.

Starter Write down what you know about Salwar Kameez.

Starter Write down what you know about Salwar Kameez. The Salwar are loose pyjama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle. The Kameez is a long shirt or tunic.

They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens. I tried each satin-silken top - was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. I wanted my parents' camel-skin lamp - switching it on in my bedroom, to consider the cruelty and the transformation from camel to shade, marvel at the colours like stained glass. My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree. But it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat. I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality, staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens.

The Background to the Poem Mini Task 1 Summarize this slide in words. Moniza Alvi was born in 1968 of mixed parentage, her father being Pakistani and her mother English. She was born in Pakistan but moved to England at a young age. The poem Presents from My Aunts in Pakistan expresses her confusion in her search for her identity. The traditional clothes that her aunts sent her from Pakistan are a symbol of a part of her, but only a part of her, and one that she does not feel entirely comfortable with. [81 words]

The Background to the Poem Mini Task 1 Summarize this slide in words. Moniza Alvi was born in 1968 of mixed parentage, her father being Pakistani and her mother English. She was born in Pakistan but moved to England at a young age. The poem Presents from My Aunts in Pakistan expresses her confusion in her search for her identity. The traditional clothes that her aunts sent her from Pakistan are a symbol of a part of her, but only a part of her, and one that she does not feel entirely comfortable with.

The Background to the Poem Mini Task 1 Summarize this slide Alvi, born 1968 of mixed parentage in Pakistan. Moved to England at a young age. Poem Presents expresses her search for identity. Traditional clothes aunts sent are a symbol of a part of her she does not feel comfortable with. [40 words]

The Story Of The Poem Mini Task 2 Underline/highlight what you think are the important parts of the ‘story of the poem.’ A young girl of mixed race, half English, half Pakistani, is sent vey colourful clothes as presents for her birthday by her Aunts who still live in Pakistan. Although she appreciates the beauty of the clothes she does not feel she can wear them. She wants to wear ‘ordinary’ clothes like her school-friends and feels embarrassed when she has to wear her Pakistani clothes. She is then reminded of her birthplace, Lahore and her journey from there to England where her family had nowhere to stay but her English grandparents. She remembers a ‘fractured land’, a reference to Bangladesh’s war for independence in 1971 when she was 3 years old. At the end of the poem she is forced to conclude that that she feels that she doesn't belong anywhere and is of ‘no fixed nationality’.

Structure Mini Task 3 How is the poem structured and composed? Describe the layout of the poem. What is the form of the poem?

Structure Mini Task 3 How is the poem structured and composed? The poem is composed of 7 stanzas with unequal lines in each stanza, 15, 11, 7, 6, 15, 10 & 5 lines. Line length is also uneven ranging from 2 to 13 syllables. There is only one rhyming line in the poem so it is written in free verse. Colour imagery is the key feature of the poem but there are also several examples of alliteration and metaphor in the poem. Describe the layout of the poem. The poet has set it out on a sort of spiral form, not left justified as most poems are. What is the form of the poem? As the poet seems to be addressing the reader directly, the poem can be considered a monologue.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 4 Who are ‘they’? Why use the word ‘they’. What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 4 Who are ‘they’? The ‘Aunts’ referred to in the title of the poem. Why use the word ‘they’. Calling her Aunts ‘they’ is impolite and establishes her negative attitude towards the gifts she is sent. What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines? Colour Imagery. ‘peacock blue’ & ‘glistening orange are vibrant colours and are the first examples of the use of colour imagery in the poem

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 5 What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines? How did the bangles snap?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 5 What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines? Again colour imagery dominates this stanza - gold, black, candy striped & blood red. But the reference to drawing blood is a more sinister use of colour imagery. How did the bangles snap? I don’t think it happened accidently, I think she snapped them and in doing so, cut herself.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 5 What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines? How did the bangles snap? If this is so then the question is, why did she snap the bangle?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 5 What is the key poetic device that is used in these lines? Again colour imagery dominates this stanza - gold, black, candy striped & blood red. But the reference to drawing blood is a more sinister use of colour imagery. How did the bangles snap? I don’t think it happened accidently, I think she snapped them and in doing so cut herself. If this is so then the question is, why did she snap the bangle? The bangle probably represented the ‘costumes’ she feels she is forced to wear. So snapping the bangle is an act of rebellion, only this time she drew blood.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 6 Look again at what was said about the background to the poem. Is there a possible metaphorical meaning to these lines?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 They sent me a salwar kameez peacock-blue, and another glistening like an orange split open, embossed slippers, gold and black points curling. Candy-striped glass bangles snapped, drew blood Mini Task 6 Look again at what was said about the background to the poem. Is there a possible metaphorical meaning to these lines? Later in the poem Moniza describes a fractured land. So the snapped “Candy-striped glass bangles”, could be an indirect metaphorical reference to Pakistan which became a fractured land when she left it as a child. Also the “blood” caused by the broken bangles is in itself a metaphor for the blood that was spilt during this conflict, a conflict that seems to have left a deep scar in Moniza Alvi’s heart.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 7 What new element does the poet introduce in this line? What is the effect of the enjambment on Line 10? Is there a deeper or metaphorical significance to this isolated line?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 7 What new element does the poet introduce in this line? This is the first reference to her ‘everyday’ life and the effect that fashion is having on her and her cultural identity. What is the effect of the enjambment on Line 10? The isolation of the line places emphasis on Pakistan. Is there a deeper or metaphorical significance to this isolated line? It helps to introduce the isolation the poet feels when she thinks about her cultural roots in Pakistan.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 9 What is the irony in these lines? Why might she do this?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 9 What is the irony in these lines? The poet then details the changing fashions in Pakistan, ironically these mirror the changing fashions in the UK, but even so the poet would seem to reject her Pakastini clothes. Why might she do this? She is obviously not being brought up as Pakistani, but ‘English’, and this is the culture she now identifies with.

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 1 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 10 What poetic device is used in these lines? What is wrong with the gift she got for her birthday?

The Poem in Detail – Stanza 2 Like at school, fashions changed in Pakistan - the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff, then narrow. My aunts chose an apple-green sari, silver-bordered for my teens Mini Task 10 What poetic device is used in these lines? More colour imagery, ‘apple-green’ and ‘silver’ which describes the sari she got for her thirteenth birthday. What is wrong with the gif she got for her birthday? An apple-green sari may have been appropriate for a teenager in Pakistan, but she clearly feels it was not appropriate for her as a gift to mark the start of her teen years.

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Identify examples of : alliteration irony metaphor alienation key phrases Explain why the phrases you identified are so important.

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Identify examples of : alliteration irony metaphor alienation key phrases Explain what is happening in this stanza.

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Identify examples of : alliteration irony metaphor alienation key phrases Explain what is happening in this stanza. .

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Identify examples of : alliteration irony metaphor alienation key phrases Explain what is happening in this stanza.

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Identify examples of : alliteration irony metaphor alienation key phrases Now explain what is happening in this stanza.

Stanza 2 I tried each satin-silken top – was alien in the sitting-room. I could never be as lovely as those clothes – I longed for denim and corduroy. My costume clung to me and I was aflame, I couldn't rise up out of its fire, half-English, unlike Aunt Jamila. Mini Task 11 Now explain what is happening in this stanza. She tries on the clothes she is sent out of ‘duty’ because they make her feel ‘alien’. They don’t belong in the English life she is now living and consequently she doesn't belong in them. Ironically she does recognize their beauty but does not feel that she is beautiful enough to wear them and what she wants is the dull blue, black or brown clothes that ordinary English people wear. She describes the clothes she has been sent as a ‘costume’, like something she wears when he has to ‘act’ being Pakistani. They embarrass her so much she feels like she is on fire with embarrassment when she wears them and she feels she cannot escape from this metaphorical & literal torment. Interestingly she feels ‘half-English’ not half- Pakistani. Again its isolation draws attention to this line, giving it importance.

Stanza 3 I wanted my parents' camel-skin lamp - switching it on in my bedroom, to consider the cruelty and the transformation from camel to shade, marvel at the colours Mini Task 12 What does the Came Skin Lamp metaphor mean?

Stanza 3 I wanted my parents' camel-skin lamp - switching it on in my bedroom, to consider the cruelty and the transformation from camel to shade, marvel at the colours Mini Task 12 What does the Came Skin Lamp metaphor mean? The skin belongs on a camel, not a lamp. Likewise she belongs in English not Pakistani clothes. To transform the camel into a lamp is cruel and so is transforming her from an English to an Asian girl. Yet despite recognising the ‘cruelty’ of the transformation she is still able to ‘marvel at the colours’, in much the same way as in Stanza 2 she recognizes the beauty of the clothes she gets sent, even if she isn’t ‘lovely’ enough to be worthy of wearing them.

Stanza 4 My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree. But it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. Mini Task 13 What is the difference between the poet and her mother? What is the irony in these lines?

Stanza 4 My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree. But it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. Mini Task 13 What is the difference between the poet and her mother? The poet’s mother was English but seems at home with her dual nationality as she ‘cherished’ her Indian jewellery and does not reject it, or the culture it represents, unlike her daughter. What is the irony in these lines? Ironically the jewellery is stolen, which can be seen as a metaphor for cultural identity being stolen, it is also a reminder of the reality of life in England and that the culture the teenage girl want to embrace so wholeheartedly is not perfect.

Stanza 4 My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree. But it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. Mini Task 14 There is no single colour mentioned in this part of the stanza, yet colour imagery is still a feature here. Why? What is the irony in these lines? Vocab: Radiant - sending out light; shining or glowing brightly.

Stanza 4 My mother cherished her jewellery - Indian gold, dangling, filigree. But it was stolen from our car. The presents were radiant in my wardrobe. My aunts requested cardigans from Marks and Spencers. Mini Task 14 There is no single colour mentioned in this part of the stanza, yet colour imagery is still a feature here. Why? The word ‘radiant’ implies colour. The saris and other garments she has been sent seem to radiate beauty and colourful light when she opens her wardrobe. What is the irony in these lines? Her Aunts send her all these ‘radiant’ clothes but in return they ironically all they want in return is boring, dull M&S cardigans. Vocab: Radiant - sending out light; shining or glowing brightly.

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 15 What does the poet means by ‘weekend clothes’? How do these lines reflect the theme of ‘alienation’ in the poem?

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 15 What does the poet means by ‘weekend clothes’? During the week the poet would probably wear her school uniform most of the time. She could change when she got home but if her parents expected her to wear her Pakistani clothes she would probably stay in her uniform. Her ‘weekend clothes’ would be ordinary English clothes like jeans and a top, not saris or salwar kameez. How do these lines reflect the theme of ‘alienation’ in the poem? Her friend would want her to look ‘normal’ which reinforces how foreign or ‘alien’ the presents she gets sent are.

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 16 What is the image the poet creates here? What is the irony in these lines? Explain the metaphor the poet uses in these lines. Vocab: Mirror-work - A type of embroidery which attaches small pieces of reflective metal to fabric.

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 16 What is the image the poet creates here? Her teenage self looking at the mirror-work in one of the garments her Aunt’s have sent her as a gift. What is the irony in these lines? Again, she admires what she has been sent as a gift, even though she would hate having to wear it. Explain the metaphor the poet uses in these lines. The reflections from the tiny mirrors sewn into the fabric present a fragmented view of their subject. This can be seen as a metaphor for her fractured cultural identity. Vocab: Mirror-work - A type of embroidery which attaches small pieces of reflective metal to fabric.

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 17 What does looking at her fractured reflection as a teenager cause the poet to do?

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 17 What does looking at her fractured reflection as a teenager cause the poet to do? Looking at her fractured reflection reminds the poet of her early childhood and the journey to England by boat (not by air). This is the first hint that they left, or were evacuated from Pakistan in a rush. She remembers the physical pain the journey caused her, but the emotional pain she has had to endure adjusting to a new culture has probably been much greater.

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 18 What is significant about her ‘ending up in a cot’? What is significant about finding herself ‘alone’?

Stanza 5 My salwar kameez didn't impress the schoolfriend who sat on my bed, asked to see my weekend clothes. But often I admired the mirror-work, tried to glimpse myself in the miniature glass circles, recall the story how the three of us sailed to England. Prickly heat had me screaming on the way. I ended up in a cot in my English grandmother's dining-room, found myself alone, playing with a tin boat Mini Task 18 What is significant about her ‘ending up in a cot’? She ends up in a cot in her grandmother’s dining room. More evidence that the journey had been rushed and unplanned because her parents hadn’t even had time to find somewhere to live before they arrived. What is significant about finding herself ‘alone’? She finds herself alone, but this is just the beginning of what will be her cultural isolation. This is quite a strong image to end the stanza with.

I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Stanza 6 - Context The last two stanzas move on to describe the poet’s memories of her life in Pakistan. The Bangladesh War of Independence was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. It resulted in the independence of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The war began after the military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, religious minorities and armed personnel. An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. Sectarian violence broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking immigrants. An academic consensus prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military were a genocide. [117 words] Mini Task 19 Summarize this slide in Words.

I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Stanza 6 – Context Summary The Bangladesh War of Independence was a revolution and armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalist and the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. It resulted in the independence of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The war began after the military junta based in West Pakistan launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan on the night of 25 March It pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, students, religious minorities and armed personnel. An estimated 10 million Bengali refugees fled to neighbouring India, while 30 million were internally displaced. Sectarian violence broke out between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking immigrants. An academic consensus prevails that the atrocities committed by the Pakistani military were a genocide. [117 words] Mini Task 19 Summarize this slide in Words.

I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Stanza 6 – Context Summary Bangladesh War of Independence was a revolution sparked by rise of Bengali nationalist and 1971 Bangladesh genocide. The war began after the military junta pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians. 10 million refugees fled to India. 30 million were internally displaced. Also violence between Bengalis and Urdu-speaking immigrants. [50 words] Mini Task 19 Summarize this slide in Words.

Stanza 6 I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Mini Task 20 What is the poet doing in these lines? What happens after she looks at or remembers the photographs? What does the reference to 'a fractured land’ echo?

Stanza 6 I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Mini Task 20 What is the poet doing in these lines? She is looking at photographs or remembering photographs of Lahore in Pakistan where she was born. What happens after she looks at or remembers the photographs? She is then reminded of the Pakistan/ Bangladesh war in 1971 when she was 3 years old. It was this conflict that probably forced her parents to leave Pakistan when she was so young. What does the reference to 'a fractured land’ echo? It echoes the feeling she creates earlier in the poem when she hints at her own fractured identity

Stanza 6 I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Mini Task 21 How does the poet ‘see’ Lahore? What is the cultural implication of the ‘screened’ aunts? Context: Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan.

Stanza 6 I pictured my birthplace from fifties' photographs. When I was older there was conflict, a fractured land throbbing through newsprint. Sometimes I saw Lahore - my aunts in shaded rooms, screened from male visitors, sorting presents, wrapping them in tissue. Mini Task 21 How does the poet ‘see’ Lahore? The poet sees Lahore in her memory and is remembers her aunts wrapping presents, like the ones they send. What is the cultural implication of the ‘screened’ aunts? The screening of the aunts so they can’t be seen by male visitors would imply that she comes from a Muslim family, on her father’s side at least. And this is perhaps another source of conflict for her being a Muslim girl in a very secular UK in the 1970’s. Vocab: Secular - not connected with religious or spiritual matters.

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 21 Why does the poet introduce ‘beggars’ in this stanza?

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 21 Why does the poet introduce ‘beggars’ in this stanza? Perhaps this is a reality check. It is certainly an interesting contrast to the rest of the poem. You get the sense that her family in Pakistan is fairly well off, rich enough at least to send her all these fabulous clothes; but as well as remembering her aunts, she also remembers the beggars, a symbol of the poverty of her birthplace.

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 22 What does the poet suggest here? Why is this line important?

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 22 What does the poet suggest here? That culturally, she does not know who she is or where she belongs. Why is this line important? It is really what the whole poem is about and in many ways this is the climax of the poem and the whole poem has in fact been leading up to this line. This is because as a teenager she feels her cultural ties to her birthplace prevent her feeling completely at home in England, her culture of choice. Yet part of her would seem to be drawn to her Pakistani roots and consequently she feels she does not completely belongs to either country or culture.

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 23 What might the Shalimar Gardens symbolize? Why does the poem end this way? Vocab: Fretwork – ornamental design in wood, typically with geometric patterns being cut out of the wood to leave gaps you can see through. Context: Shalimar Gardens & Fort – Built in the mid 1600’s, the gardens and fort are two masterpieces from the time of the Mughal civilization. The fort contains marble palaces and mosques decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of the gardens, with their three terraces, lodges, waterfalls and large ornamental ponds, is unequalled. They are a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Stanza 7 Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls and I was there - of no fixed nationality staring through fretwork at the Shalimar Gardens Mini Task 23 What might the Shalimar Gardens symbolize? The Shalimar Gardens are very beautiful so they can be seen as a symbol for the beauty of her birthplace, or that as an adult thinking back, she now recognises that beauty, even if she has tried to deny it all her life. Why does the poem end this way? Perhaps this is a recognition that the poet has been in denial about her cultural identity all her life. Interestingly using this image ends the poem in Pakistan, not England, and with a very positive feeling about Pakistan and Pakistani culture.

What The Poet Says About The Poem Presents from My Aunts...was one of the first poems I wrote. When I wrote this poem, I hadn't actually been back to Pakistan. The girl in the poem would be me at about 13. The clothes seem to stick to her in an uncomfortable way, a bit like a kind of false skin, and she thinks things aren't straightforward for her. I found it was important to write the Pakistan poems because I was getting in touch with my background. And maybe there's a bit of a message behind the poems about something I went through, that I want to maybe open a few doors if possible.

Presents From My Aunts In Pakistan - Moniza Alvi

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