Question 1: Briefly explain the main themes presented in 'Tissue'. How does the poem explore the relationship between power and fragility?

Answer: The poem explores themes of power, impermanence, and human fragility, suggesting that physical and societal structures are temporary and fragile like tissue.

Question 1: How does Dharker's use of free verse and lack of a fixed rhyme scheme affect the reader's perception of the poem's message?

Answer: It creates a flowing, natural feel that emphasizes the fragility and fluidity of the themes, making the message more personal and less rigid.

Question 2: Identify and analyze the significance of the poem's stanza breaks. How do they contribute to the overall meaning?

Answer: Stanza breaks create pauses that reflect the fragility of tissue and structures, emphasizing the delicate balance between permanence and impermanence.

Question 3: Compare the structure of 'Tissue' with that of 'Ozymandias'. How does each poem's form support its themes?

Answer: While 'Tissue' uses free verse to evoke fluidity and fragility, 'Ozymandias' employs sonnet form to emphasize the permanence of power contrasted with its inevitable decay. Both forms reinforce their respective themes.

Question 1: Quote Explosion: 'Paper thinned by age or touching'. Analyze the metaphor here. What effect does this have on the reader?

Answer: The metaphor suggests fragility and the passage of time weakening structures, prompting the reader to consider the transient nature of human creations and memory.

Question 2: Identify and explain the use of personification in the line: 'Everyday objects / Designed to last / A lifetime'.

Answer: The phrase personifies objects as 'designed to last,' emphasizing human intention and the contrast between durability and fragility.

Question 3: Compare Dharker's use of metaphors in 'Tissue' with the use of metaphors in 'My Last Duchess'. How do both poets use metaphors to convey power?

Answer: Dharker uses metaphors of tissue and paper to show fragility of power, whereas Browning's 'My Last Duchess' uses metaphors of art and possession to depict control and authority. Both explore the nature of power but from different perspectives.

Question 1: How does 'Tissue' portray the impermanence of human structures and societal power? Use specific examples.

Answer: The poem suggests that physical structures and societal constructs are temporary, using imagery of paper and tissue that can be easily torn or worn, symbolizing the fleeting nature of power.

Question 2: Compare the presentation of power in 'Ozymandias' and 'Tissue'. What similarities and differences can you identify?

Answer: 'Ozymandias' presents power as grand but ultimately doomed, while 'Tissue' emphasizes the fragile and transient nature of power. Both highlight the impermanence but differ in focus—one on hubris, the other on fragility.

Question 3: Discuss how the theme of memory is conveyed in 'Tissue'. How does this compare with 'Remains'?

Answer: 'Tissue' uses imagery of worn paper to symbolize fading memory and history, whereas 'Remains' depicts the lasting trauma of conflict, suggesting memory can be both fragile and persistent depending on context.

Question 1: Outline the main similarities and differences between 'Tissue' and 'Ozymandias' in terms of themes and structure.

Answer: Both poems explore the theme of impermanence of power; 'Ozymandias' through the ruins of a statue, 'Tissue' through fragile paper. Structurally, 'Ozymandias' is a sonnet emphasizing permanence, while 'Tissue' is free verse highlighting fragility.

Question 2: Identify two key points you would include in your essay to compare how each poet presents the idea of human vulnerability.

Answer: Dharker shows vulnerability through delicate tissue and paper, symbolizing fragility, while Shelley highlights the hubris of rulers, with their power ultimately being fragile and fleeting.