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Characters · 2
The Speaker
The Speaker is the lyric "I" at the heart of Tissue, serving as a meditative and introspective voice that guides the poem's exploration of fragility, impermanence, and the complex layers of human identity.
character
The Unnamed Human Figure
The Unnamed Human Figure in Imtiaz Dharker's poem "Tissue" isn't depicted as a fully fleshed-out individual but rather as a representative, almost archetypal presence—symbolizing a person who both creates and is shaped by paper and its records.
character
Key quotes · 8
“If buildings were paper, I might / feel their drift”
This couplet opens Imtiaz Dharker's poem "Tissue," which is a staple in many secondary-school literature classes.
Poetic speaker (Imtiaz Dharker) · Stanza 1
“Might fly our lives like paper kites”
This line is from "Tissue," a poem by Imtiaz Dharker, a British-Pakistani poet who often delves into themes of identity, fragility, and human vulnerability.
Poetic speaker (Imtiaz Dharker)
“This is what could alter things”
This line comes from Tissue, a play by British-Bangladeshi playwright Theresa Ikoko, but more notably, Tissue is a well-known work by Lucy Kirkwood.
<UNKNOWN>
“Might be written in the colour of the sky”
This line is from "Tissue," a poem by Imtiaz Dharker, a British-Pakistani poet known for exploring themes of identity, borders, and the fragility of human constructs.
Poetic speaker (Imtiaz Dharker)
“Turned into your skin”
The poem "Tissue" is by Imtiaz Dharker, a British-Pakistani poet, and it's included in her 2006 collection The Terrorist at My Table.
The poem's speaker (Imtiaz Dharker)
“The sun shines through / their borderlines, the marks / that rivers make”
These lines are from "Tissue," a poem by British-Pakistani poet Imtiaz Dharker.
The poetic speaker (Imtiaz Dharker)
“An architect could use all this, / make a house of paper”
These lines are from Imtiaz Dharker's poem "Tissue," which is the title piece of her 2006 collection.
poetic speaker / narrator · Tissue (title poem)
“Paper that lets the light / shine through”
This opening line is from "Tissue," a poem by Imtiaz Dharker, a British-Pakistani poet.
Poetic speaker (Imtiaz Dharker)
Symbols · 5
Architecture and Buildings
In Tissue by Fiona Sampson, architecture and buildings reflect the delicate, complex, and sometimes misleading structures that people create to hold their identity, memories, and sense of self.
Light
In Tissue by Imtiaz Dharker, light symbolizes transparency, impermanence, and human vulnerability.
Maps and Receipts
In Tissue by Priya Parmar, maps and receipts symbolize the delicate and constructed nature of identity and inheritance.
The Qur'an
In Imtiaz Dharker's Tissue, the Qur'an reflects the close, personal connection between people and the sacred texts that influence their lives.
Tissue / Paper
In Imtiaz Dharker's Tissue, paper and tissue symbolize fragility, impermanence, and the quiet strength found in everyday life.
Literary devices · 12
Extended Metaphor
The poem's main idea — comparing tissue paper to human life, history, and the fragility of power — runs through all seven stanzas.
Symbolism
Tissue paper works on at least three symbolic levels at the same time.
Imagery
Dharker crafts the poem largely through tactile and visual imagery instead of relying on argument.
Enjambment
Enjambment drives the poem's structure.
Free Verse
Dharker writes in free verse, avoiding a regular meter or rhyme scheme, which emphasizes the poem's resistance to strict structures.
Volta
The poem takes a significant turn in the penultimate stanza, where Dharker moves from the hypothetical ('If buildings were made of paper') to directly addressing the body: 'And you could / hold a country / in your hand.'
Motif
Light serves as the central theme of the poem, appearing in various forms throughout.
Juxtaposition
Dharker consistently contrasts the monumental with the fragile to challenge our perceptions of both.
Personification
Paper takes on a sense of agency and almost a physical presence throughout the poem.
Allusion
The reference to the Qur'an — 'the Koran' whose pages are 'smoothed and stroked and turned' until 'they let the / light through' — stands out as the poem's most powerful allusion.
Paradox
The poem's central paradox lies in the idea that the most delicate material—tissue paper—is depicted as more honest and enduring than the 'grand design' written on it.
Apostrophe
In the crucial fourth stanza of the poem, Dharker switches to the second person: 'And you could / hold a country / in your hand.'