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Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan

Poems from Different Cultures

Slide Contents

AuthorThemes

What is it About?StructureLanguage

Examination PreparationLinks

The Author

Moniza AlviMoniza Alvi was born in Pakistan in 1954 to a Pakistani father and an English mother. She moved to England when she was only a few months old and grew up in Hatfield on the outskirts of London.Speaking about Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan she said “The girl in the poem would be me at about 13…I found it was important to write the Pakistan poems because I was getting in touch with my background.”

Themes

Who do you think you are?

Identity is about the things that make us who we are. You may be male or female, young or old, black or white, rich or poor – these are all features which make up your identity. It is about where you come from, the language you speak, your religion, your family and your personal history. Identity is what we think of ourselves. The girl in this poem is confused about her identity, she feels split between being Pakistani and being English.

Two CulturesA number of the poets in the Poems from Different Cultures section of the anthology talk about the experience of having two different cultures in their lives. Having a mixture of backgrounds can make people feel caught between different cultures. In Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan the girl in the poem feels confused, her family are from Pakistan but she has spent almost her whole life in England. She feels as though she doesn’t really fit into either culture.

What is it About?

Identity and Two Cultures

Your new home The country you left behind

Imagine (or you may have experience) leaving the country you were born in to live in another country. You would be leaving behind friends, grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts. How might you feel about:

Identity and Two Cultures

What feelings might you have? What would you miss the most? Would you have

positive or negative feelings, or both?

Discuss your findings with a partner.

What Happens?

Lines What is happening?

1 - 26 The poet remembers the clothes she was sent by her aunts in Pakistan.

When she put them on she felt uncomfortable.

27 - 43

44 - 69

There are three main parts to the poem. Do you know what they are? The first one has been

done for you

What Happens?

Lines What is happening?

1 - 26 The poet remembers the clothes she was sent by her aunts in Pakistan. When she put

them on she felt uncomfortable.

27 - 43 She remembers her mum’s jewellery being stolen and her friend not liking the clothes

from Pakistan

44 - 69 She tries to recollect what it was like first coming to England. She reflects that she’ll

never feel properly Pakistani or English

There are three main parts to the poem. Do you know what they are? The first one has been

done for you

Structure

Staying FocusedThe poem is organised into seven stanzas with each representing a different stage. Complete the chart below. Say what happens in each stanza and describe how she feels.

Stanza

Events & Feelings

1 She describes the clothes she received from her aunts in Pakistan. She appears to be impressed by their beautiful and exotic colours.

2

3

4

5

6

7

Structure

In my opinion Moniza Alvi has chosen to write the lines of the poem in an unusual way to show….

I also believe that…..

How are the lines of the poem structured?Why do you think the poet has done this?

Explain your answer in detail.

StructureThe poem is written in free verse meaning that the words and phrases of the poem are set out loosely on the page. It is also split into verses of altering length.If you read the poem out loud this structure affects how you read the lines. This is because when there is no set pattern, the poet can always break a line to stress the image or emotion they are attempting to convey.

Language

Vocabulary

Words Meaning

salwar kameez

Moniza Alvi’s birthplace in Pakistan.

sari Decorative panelling, with cut-outs so you can partly see through it.

mirror-work relentless itching caused by hot weather.

prickly heat Loose trousers and tunic, worn by Pakistani women.

Lahore Asian clothing decorated with lots of tiny round mirrors

fretwork An ornate park in Lahore.

Shalimar Gardens

a garment, traditionally worn by South Asian women

Some of the words used in the poem may be unfamiliar to you. Can you match up the correct definition of each of the

following words from the poem?

Vocabulary

Words Meaning

salwar kameez

Loose trousers and tunic, worn by Pakistani women.

sari a garment, traditionally worn by South Asian women

mirror-work Asian clothing decorated with lots of tiny round mirrors

prickly heat relentless itching caused by hot weather.

Lahore Moniza Alvi’s birthplace in Pakistan.

fretwork Decorative panelling, with cut-outs so you can partly see through it.

Shalimar Gardens

An ornate park in Lahore.

How many did you get?

ColourMany descriptions of colour are used in the

opening fifteen lines of the poem. Find examples and add them to the spider diagram

below.Peacock-

blue

Why does the poet use these words to describe the colours of the clothes? What impression is she trying to create?

ImageryLook at the imagery used in the poem.

Why does the poet use these particular images?

The Images Notes on the images

My costume clung to meAnd I was aflame,I couldn’t rise up out of its fire

The presents were radiant in my wardrobe

Staring through fretworkAt the Shalimar Gardens

Language Features

Conflict The cultures of England and Pakistan contrast sharply as symbolised by the clothes.

Pain and She feels uncertain about who she is. She

fear is uncomfortable in Pakistani clothes and feels excluded by both cultures.

Metaphorical Metaphors such as the conflict in Pakistan

Language is used to emphasise her own inner conflict.

The poem uses three types of language.

Poetic Techniques

Technique Definition

Metaphor The use of the same sound at the start of words

Alliteration A figure of speech not meant literally

Personification a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word 'like' or 'as

Simile the attribution of human qualities to objects

Match the technique with the correct definition.

Poetic Techniques

Technique Definition

Metaphor The use of the same sound at the start of words

Alliteration A figure of speech not meant literally

Personification a comparison between two different things, especially a phrase containing the word 'like' or 'as

Simile the attribution of human qualities to objects

Match the technique with the correct definition.

Poetic TechniquesThink about the poetic techniques discussed on the

last slide. Copy down the chart below. Find examples in the poem and write down the effect

created.

Technique Evidence Effectsimile ‘glistening

like an orange split open’

metaphor

Alliteration

personification

Feelings and Attitudes

1. The poet remembers feeling confused and out of place as a teenager.

2. She has mixed feelings about the presents sent by her aunts – they are beautiful but also strange and alien to her.

3. She feels as though she doesn’t know who she is – she is confused about her identity.

Examination

Preparation

The Examination Paper

• You will have 45 minutes to answer the question.

• You will be asked to compare two poems.• You should begin by annotating the

question for the key words. This will help you to understand what you are being asked to do.

E.g. Compare ‘Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan’ with one other poem, to show how the poets reveal ideas and feelings about their identity.

Planning• Spend between 5 and 10 minutes

making a plan. This will help you to order your essay logically.

• Make a note of any key ideas you are going to include.

• Leave at least 5 minutes at the end to read through your work and check for any basic errors.

StructureA good answer should:

• Write in paragraphs. • Don’t forget to P.E.E! Using a range of quotes

that are properly embedded within your answer.

• Begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion.

The main body of the essay should follow these five steps to make a good answer:

• Write a bit about the theme• Compare the structures of each poem• Compare the use of language in each poem• Compare the feelings of the poets• Write about how the poems make you feel.

Making Connections

Similarity Connectives

• Equally• In the same way• Similarly• Likewise• Just as…also

Contrast Connectives

• In contrast• However• Whereas (best

used in the middle of a sentence)

• On the other hand

Use a series of comparisons, using connectives to link ideas, both within paragraphs and between paragraphs.

Refer back to the question repeating the key words from it.

AnalysisUse the following words to link your Point -> Evidence -> Explain sentences. The use of these words will also help to ensure that your response is analytical.

suggestsimplies

gives the impression thatshows

highlightsindicates

To make the same point using a different example, try one of these:

furthersemphasisesreinforces

Recap1. When you are comparing poems you will

be asked to look for the similarities and the differences.

2. You should comment on the language they use. What poetic devices are present? Imagery, similes, metaphors, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme etc. What effect do they have on the reader?

3. You will need to comment on the structure of the poems. How are they set out? Does this add to their overall effect/meaning?

4. Consider the tone of the poems. What mood has the author created?

Links

Useful Stuff

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan short film:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMkqGSuUgGU

Film featuring traditional Pakistani clothes as described in the poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlpaMQRYYGI&NR=1&feature=fvwp

BBC Bitesize Poems From Other Cultures:http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english/poemscult/presentsrev2.shtml