Prompt 01
Essay task
In Imtiaz Dharker's poem Tissue, paper serves as a powerful metaphor to examine the connection between human creations and human vulnerability. In a well-organized essay, argue how Dharker employs the symbolic characteristics of tissue paper — its translucency, delicacy, and ability to be written on — to question the permanence of human-made structures like borders, ownership, and identity, ultimately suggesting that genuine human freedom is found in accepting impermanence.
Your essay should
Suggested length: 4–6 paragraphs
- Formulate a clear, arguable thesis that addresses Dharker's main message regarding power, control, and human fragility.
- Analyze at least three specific instances in the poem where imagery, structure, or language choices strengthen the central metaphor.
- Reflect on how the poem's form and structure (e.g., enjambment, stanza breaks, the isolated final stanza) enhance its meaning.
- Include quoted evidence from the poem and explain how it bolsters your argument.
- Conclude by considering the wider implications of Dharker's perspective — what does it signify for human beings to be, like tissue, "transparent"?