A* 99% poetry coursework essay.
Full, well-written GCSE coursework for poetry, with the poem "An Unknown Girl" by Moniza Alvi. Exploring loss of identity, Indian culture, the theme of belonging and the British- Indian culture clash. With no mistakes and embedded quotations.
How does the poet explore identtt in ‘n nknown Girl’?
“‘n nknown Girl” is about a girl, probablt the poet herself, having her hand hennaed. The
experience she has is vivid and unforgetable and she describes evertthing that is going on around
her in detail. Throughout the poem ‘lvi explores identtt bt presentng a sense of belonging and a
culture clash as well as describing her experience in an Indian marketplace.
‘ major theme is the sense of belonging the poet has as she searches for her identtt on a
trip to India. “I am clinging to these frm peacock lines”. This metaphor of “clinging” to her henna
shows how she is keen to fnd her identtt and the henna stmbolises the Indian culture. The verb
“clinging” shows desperaton and anxiett as her thoughts go back and forth between Eastern and
Western cultures. The henna is an example of her phtsicallt connectng with this culture and with
part of her identtt. She is clinging to the memories she has of who she is and which culture she
belongs to. The adjectve “frm” contrasts with her anxiett and it shows the henna is metaphoricallt
supportve and she wants to hold on to this part of who she is. The henna becomes alive when “a
peacock spreads its lines” which is as if she is absorbing part of the Indian culture. This has similar
meaning to the phrase “new brown veins” which is a metaphor of the henna representng a new life.
The word “veins” suggests the henna has become part of her that is vital and she would not be
whole without it. The veins are “new” suggestng what she is experiencing and the entre culture is
new too. We are brought back to the henna as a literal temporart tatoo on her skin again when she
sats “it will fade in a week”. The henna represents the Indian culture, therefore suggestng that afer
she has lef India behind she will leave the Indian part of her too as it will “fade” awat. The verb
“canopt” has connotatons of protecton and shelter and is used when describing the Indian cloths
around her. This implies she feels secure in this culture, however mat also suggest she feels
suffocated and trapped. The image of cloths canopting someone makes the reader feel
claustrophobic and mat make them think the culture is overwhelming and too much for her. The
poet uses the “unknown girl” to stmbolise the Indian populaton and culture. She is described as
“unknown” which shows that she is stll discovering the culture, how it links to her identtt and who
she is. ‘s she discovers her culture, she discovers her unknown identtt. The poem ends in a
tearning tone when the poet is “longing for the unknown girl”. This shows her desperaton to belong
somewhere, to something.
The henna is described as an “amber bird” which brings it to life. Birds stmbolise freedom
and perspectve which suggests the Indian culture will free her. The henna mat also let her fnd her
identtt beter as she will have beter perspectve because of it. It itself onlt cost a “few rupees”
which shows the henna has litle value but stll means a lot to her. The reference to “rupees” shows
she is becoming part of the Indian culture as she is living an evertdat life of someone living in India.
‘ henna is a stmbol of Indian culture and is a stmbol of her identtt. Having a henna suggests she is
phtsicallt trting to keep a part of her culture in her. The repeated reference to “lines” is as if she is
leaving tracks on her journet to fnd her identtt. This is because lines stmbolise journets, for
example train tracks or snail trails, which are both referenced. ‘ line is sometmes the onlt wat a
path is marked and lines are what make maps. The henna shows the journet, and is repeatedlt
described with lines: “wet brown line”; “a peacock spreads its lines”; “these frm peacock lines”; “drt
brown lines”. These quotes are in chronological order, and show the slow progression of the henna
as it starts as a single “brown line”, “spreads” then dries when fnished.
‘lvi also explores identtt when she shows Western and Eastern cultures together, clashing.
‘lvi had experienced both cultures as she is Pakistani- Britsh. Therefore, she can make direct
comparison to the girl, and the ttle, “‘n nknown Girl”. The ttle mat not be describing the girl
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