Tissue (AQA GCSE English Literature)

Each poetry anthology in the GCSE contains 15 poems, and in the poetry question in the exam you will be given one poem on the paper - printed in full - and asked to compare this given poem to one other from the anthology. You will not have access to the other poems in the exam, so you will have to know them very well from memory. Fifteen poems is a lot to learn. However, understanding four things will enable you to produce a top-mark response:

• The meaning of the poem
• The ideas and messages the poet wanted to convey
• How the poet conveys these ideas and messages through their methods
• How these ideas compare and contrast with the ideas and themes of other poems in the anthology

Below is a guide to Tissue by Imtiaz Dharker, from the Power and Conflict anthology. 

It includes:

• Overview: a breakdown of the poem, including its possible meanings and interpretations
• Writer’s methods: an exploration of the poet’s techniques and methods
• Context: an exploration of the context of the poem, relevant to its themes
• What to compare it to: ideas about which poems to compare it to in the exam

In order to answer an essay question on any poem, it is essential that you understand what it is about. This section includes:

• The poem in a nutshell
• A ‘translation’ of the poem, section-by-section
• A commentary of each of these sections, outlining Dharker’s intention and message

Tissue in a nutshell

Tissue is a poem about human power and fragility, written by Pakistan-born British poet Imtiaz Dharker and published in 2006. In the poem, the speaker uses tissue paper as an extended metaphor for life. It reveals the power of paper, and how it can be used to alter things or to record things. However, despite its power, it is still fragile, delicate and may not last, creating a sense of the fragility of human life.

Tissue breakdown

Lines 1-4

“Paper that lets the light

shine through, this

is what could alter things.

Paper thinned by age or touching.”

Translation

• The speaker is holding a thin sheet of paper in their hand
• They are contemplating this simple material, and see a kind of power in it, as it “could alter things”
• But paper deteriorates further with age or constant handling

Dharker’s intention

• The symbol of light is established straight away
• It suggests knowledge, guidance and the divine
• However, the use of light also suggests the fragility of the power of paper, as it is thin enough for light to pass through
• Via the extended metaphor, the poet is suggesting that human life is also powerful but fragile
• The thin paper represents old age
• As we grow older, our skin also becomes thinner, but we also gain wisdom

Lines 5-12

“the kind you find in well-used books,

the back of the Koran, where a hand

has written in the names and histories,

who was born to whom,”

“the height and weight, who

died where and how, on which sepia date,

pages smoothed and stroked and turned

transparent with attention.”

Translation

• Thinned and aged paper is the kind you find in a well-used book, such as the Koran, a religious text
• At the back, someone has written the names, histories and details of people
• The paper of the book has worn smooth, thin and transparent with years of handling

Dharker’s intention

• The poet is saying that paper may grow older and thinner, but it does not lose its importance
• Paper is everywhere; it is history itself
• Religious books are an example of paper with power over the way people act
• sepia is the yellow-ish colour of old paper, and “sepia date” brings to mind birth and death certificates
• Again, the poet is using paper as a metaphor for human skin, that is “smoothed and stroked” by the touch of another

Lines 13-16

“If buildings were paper, I might

feel their drift, see how easily

they fall away on a sigh, a shift

in the direction of the wind.”

Translation

• The speaker invites us to imagine if buildings were made out of paper
• Then they would be able to feel the way they sway in the wind, and watch them easily get caught up in the air of a sigh or a change in the wind’s direction

Dharker’s intention

• The poet is suggesting that buildings should be able to move and change, as humanity should be able to move, change and adapt
• And just as easily, these things “fall away” as nothing that humanity builds is meant to outlast nature

Lines 17-20

“Maps too. The sun shines through

their borderlines, the marks

that rivers make, roads,

railtracks, mountainfolds,”

Translation

• The speaker then gives the example of maps
• When the sun shines through them, all of the borders, rivers, roads, railways and mountains become clear

Dharker’s intention

• The fact that the “sun shines through” these marks again highlights the overwhelming power of nature, which breaks through man’s markings and divisions
• Even the most delicate of paper can record the most important things, such as national borders
• The “marks” may also refer to the blemishes, marks, scars and wrinkles all visible on human skin and obtained throughout a life

Lines 21-24

“Fine slips from grocery shops

that say how much was sold

and what was paid by credit card

might fly our lives like paper kites.”

Translation

• The speaker goes on to comment on receipts from shops
• These tell a story about what people have bought, what they paid and how they paid
• These bits of paper fly away from us like paper kites

Dharker’s intention

• The poet uses the metaphor of paper kites to criticise the significance humanity places on money and how it can rule our lives, especially if it is given too much power
• Paper kites are flimsy and can easily break and tear

Lines 21-33

“An architect could use all this, 

place layer over layer, luminous

script over numbers over line,

and never wish to build again with brick

or block, but let the daylight break

through capitals and monoliths,

through the shapes that pride can make,

find a way to trace a grand design

with living tissue, raise a structure

never meant to last,

of paper smoothed and stroked

and thinned to be transparent,

turned into your skin.”

Translation

• An architect could make buildings out of layers of paper, which would shine with light and display their texts
• In fact, that architect would probably never want to use bricks or concrete ever again
• Better to use materials that allow the daylight to break through, such as living material
• These would break through “capitals and monoliths”
• Then the architect could build something not meant to last, but used and explored until it turns thin and transparent, like your skin

Dharker’s intention

• The overwhelming power of daylight is something that people can’t control
• The poet could be commenting that the significance of human life will outlast the records we make of it on paper or in a building
• Or she could be commenting on the pride of mankind to believe that these things are permanent when, in fact, human life is fragile and not everything can last
• The “grand design” could refer to the way a life is built, each being unique in its own way but never meant to last
• It could also be referencing the religious belief of God’s “grand design” and man being made in the image of God
• The perfect image of God is traced with “living tissue” in the form of humankind
• The poet is commenting on the different things in life that control us
• Our lives are mapped out by the paper of religion, wealth, pride and money
• Ultimately, life is a wonderful construction, but it is fleeting, like paper. We should not take it for granted

Although this section is organised into three separate sections - form, structure and language - it is important to take an integrated approach to AO2, focusing on the main themes and ideas of the poem and then evaluating how Dharker’s choices of language, structure and form contribute to these ideas. In essence, how and why the poet has made the choices they have, in relation to their intentions and message. 

Focusing on the poet’s main ideas, rather than individual poetic techniques, will gain you far more marks. In the below sections, all analysis is arranged by theme, and includes Dharker’s intentions behind her choices in terms of:

• Form
• Structure
• Language

Form

The poem is written in the form of an ongoing monologue as an allegory for the impermanence of life. Dharker’s message is that we should not try so hard to have power and control over life as, ultimately, we cannot control it.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
The fragility of human power	The extended metaphor of tissue paper is used to represent the fragility of human power and life itself	Paper can hold power, but ultimately it becomes old, translucent and fragile
	Paper can “alter things” but it is “thinned by age and touching”	The poet is suggesting that even power is not meant to last
		Dharker could also be implying that the world would be better if it was more like tissue

Structure

Dharker structures the poem into ten stanzas. The first nine are structured into unrhymed, irregular quatrains, but the final stanza consists of just one line. The lack of regular rhyme and rhythm reflect the flimsy and irregular nature of life, and the final line implies the need to break free from the control of human power.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Breaking free from power and control	The poem uses a consistent structure of the first nine quatrains	This suggests how restrictive human power can be
	But the quatrains do not conform to a regular rhyme scheme - there is some internal rhyme but there is no regular pattern to it	This could demonstrate the irregularity of life and its flimsy nature
	The poet uses a final single line of “turned into your skin”	This isolates its meaning and shows it breaking free from the controlling structure
		It implies there is a need to break free from the control of human power
	Dharker uses enjambment, such as “where a hand has written in the names and histories…”	Punctuation can be seen as a way of imposing control on writing
		Therefore, freedom can be found even when restricted by control
		The enjambment also mirrors the flowing, delicate nature of paper and the human lives the poet compares tissue to
		The poet believes humans should become united
		It also shows that humanity is not in control as much as it would like to think - mocking those who believe they have a lot of power

Language

Dharker uses language to layer the extended metaphor of tissue as a representation of human life. She uses examples of the different uses of paper to demonstrate its power and importance, but also how it ultimately does not last. She explores the theme of power within religion, society and humanity, as well as the power of nature.

Theme	Evidence	Poet’s intention
Religion and power	The poet references the Koran, where “a hand has written the names and histories”	The poet is suggesting that the power of this type of paper comes from the influence it has on people’s lives
	Dharker also uses the symbol of light in the lines, “Paper that lets the light shine through”, “The sun shines through”,  “luminous script” and the “daylight break through”	Light is often a symbol of truth and enlightenment
		God is also often described as a light that guides the way, able to permeate through life and materialism
		The poet could also be referencing the ultimate power of nature, as the overwhelming power of daylight is something that people can’t control
		Light can also symbolise hope; the hope of breaking free of things that control us
Society and power	The poet continuously references the power of paper, but not always in a positive way	This suggests that if money is given too much power, it can govern and control our lives (it can “fly” our lives)
	For example, when speaking about the “fine slips” from grocery shops that “might fly our lives like paper kites”
	Dharker uses the metaphor of buildings which are able to “fall away on a sigh”	She is suggesting that anything built as a permanent structure should be abolished, as this is short-sighted
		Society should be able to adapt, change and become more transparent
Humanity and power	The poem suggests that what humans think is truly important is written down on paper	The poet is questioning if these are the right things to record. Are they really important?
	For example, religious truths, architects’ drawings, borders and receipts for purchases	The poet could also be suggesting that all the symbols of human power can also cause division (such as borders)
	The poem suggests that something as simple as paper itself holds power, as it could “alter things”	This tells us that paper is significant but transient. It is not made to last, just like humans cannot live forever
	Dharker uses hypothetical conditionals, such as “could” and “might”	This suggests that if paper is a metaphor for humanity, then the future is uncertain - things are not set in stone
		However, the repeated symbolism of light suggests that there is hope for the future
	Paper allows us to keep hold of relationships that have gone - one thing that stays important	It is ironic how paper, something so fragile and easily destroyed, can be as good as stone at preserving the past
	We are reminded that life is fleeting, as it can “fall away on a sigh”	The poet is implying that we might stop trying to build permanent memorials or legacies (“a structure never meant to last”) and start focusing on what is important in life
		This suggests that empire building is a pointless exercise. We should treasure the lives around us, focusing on them until they become “transparent with attention”
		However, there is also the implication that, despite the fragility of life, mankind is still strong
	The poem also works as a metaphor about the battle between humanity and time	The poet is giving us advice for life here - to let the goodness in and to live in the moment

Context is only worth 6 marks and should not be written about separately. It is therefore important that you do not include irrelevant biographical information about Imtiaz Dharker or the Koran. The best way to include context is to start with the key themes and ideas in the poem, and then include an exploration of why the writer may have chosen to address these themes and ideas. The key themes that Dharker explores in this poem are those of conflict and power, so this section on context is based upon these themes:

Conflict and power

• Dharker was born in Pakistan, but grew up in Glasgow
• Her poetry often concentrates on identity, home and explores the abuse of power
• She presents the idea that humans do not have the right attitude to life
• We see it as permanent and an opportunity to gain power
• There is inherent conflict in the poem
• Like the material we call tissue, the poem seems light and insubstantial, but holds an important message
• Humanity makes its own conflict by holding on too tight to power and control
• We create division and conflict between ourselves by insisting on following the instructions handed down to us
• The poem written from the point of view of someone today looking at the conflict, troubles and politics in the world
• The Koran, buildings, maps, grocery slips: these are all symbols of wider issues in the world
• For example, religion, structures of power, divides in politics and culture, and the influence of money and wealth on society
• The poet wonders what the world would be like if these things were more like tissue
• We have ultimately built a world around these things, at odds with our own existence

The essay you are required to write in your exam should be an integrated comparison of the ideas and themes explored in two of your anthology poems (the one given on the exam paper and one other). It is therefore essential that you revise the poems together, in pairs, to understand how each poet presents key ideas and themes, in comparison to other poets in the anthology. Given that Tissue explores ideas of the futility of human power, the following comparisons would be a good place to start:

• Tissue and Ozymandias
• Tissue and London

For each pair of poems, you will find:

• The comparison in a nutshell
• Similarities between the ideas presented in each poem
• Differences between the ideas presented in each poem
• Evidence and analysis of these similarities and differences

Tissue and Ozymandias

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Tissue and Ozymandias use extended metaphors to show the power and importance of time and nature, and that these things will ultimately outlast human power and its symbols.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems show how human power and its symbols are impermanent and pointless, especially compared to time and nature
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	Ozymandias
	Dharker compares something we associate with solidity and power, such as buildings, to something fragile like tissue paper	In Ozymandias the poet shows a loss of power over time and in competition with nature, as the character is surrounded by desert which is a symbol of nature and time
	This reflects how even the strongest and sturdiest of human constructions will erodee and decay over time	In Ozymandias, the stone statue intended to be a permanent memorial and legacy of the once-great and proud ruler has been ruined by time and nature
	In Tissue, Dhaker suggests that humanity has a desire to control, so uses paper, such as maps, to segregate and divide the world into humanity’s design	Shelley describes Ozymandias’s “sneer of cold command” as if to suggest that he is a cruel and heartless leader, only concerned with his own power and the immortality it will bring. He was a man who believed his power could prevail over time
	But paper, and the marks on it, fade with time. The poet considers the role that paper plays in our lives, and why we use it to record information that will be useless as time moves forwards	Ramesses’s rule was corroded by his pride, and his legacy largely forgotten by sand and time
	Both poets suggest that humans’ time (and impact) on earth is short, despite the marks we make upon the world, even if you are the ruler of a once great kingdom
	In both poems, mankind is presented as believing it has control over nature, but nature is an eternal force, whereas humanity will die and become forgotten

Topic sentence	The temporary and unstable nature of human power is contrasted in both poems with the elevated power of knowledge and art
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	Ozymandias
	This is shown in Tissue through the references to the Koran and the “architect”	This is shown in Ozymandias by referencing the unknown “sculptor”
	By referencing the Koran, Dharker suggests that the knowledge provided by such texts is not bound by time	Shelley’s speaker praises the sculptor, as despite Ramesses seeking eternal power, it is his sculptor’s skill that is ultimately remembered
	The immortal power of memories is a more important power to pursue
	Both poems imply that humanity should choose wisely how it wishes to live and be remembered, as the poems end with the implication that these choices will determine how it will be remembered when power is extinguished

Differences:

Topic sentence	While both poems reflect on the nature of power and time, and the power of nature to outlast humanity, Dharker’s poem offers suggestions of hope and for change, whereas Shelley issues a warning about individual arrogance and pride leading to eventual downfall
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	Ozymandias
	At the end of the poem, the poet presents the reader with their own mortality via “turned into your skin”, implying that, like paper, skin is tissue and will inevitably decay and end	At the end of Ozymandias, “Nothing beside remains” except the “lone and level sands” that “stretch far away”
	However, this poem offers hope of change in the form of the symbols of light	Here, Shelley is suggesting that human arrogance and pride corrupt, and that once corrupted, power will fall and be forgotten
	It suggests that we can choose to value things that are more important than material possessions or legacies
	In this way, humanity has power, but it is important to recognise its fragility and the fact that it won’t last forever, so we should make the most of it	This poem does not offer the possibility of redemption
	The irregular and fluctuating rhyme scheme reflects the fragility of life	This poem is written in the more structured form of a sonnet, as a love poem to himself (Ozymandias), reflecting the love he had for himself above all others

Tissue and London

Comparison in a nutshell:

Both Tissue and London are critical of material wealth and the importance placed upon it, and explore the nature of power and its importance.

Similarities:

Topic sentence	Both poems comment on humanity’s desire to control nature
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	London
	In Tissue, the poet references maps upon which are drawn “borderlines”	In London, Blake juxtaposes “chartered and “flow” in the line “Near where the charter’d Thames does flow”, emphasising how impossible it is for humans to ultimately have power over nature
	This reflects mankind’s attempts to order, divide and limit nature, and to impose order	Despite being mapped and owned (“chartered”), the Thames continues to “flow” naturally. It cannot be controlled
	However, the use of light imagery demonstrates the overwhelming power of nature over man

Topic sentence	Both Tissue and London are critical of material wealth and its ability to control
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	London
	Dharker references the “Fine slips from grocery shops” which have the power to “fly our lives like paper kites”	In London, symbols of wealth and power, such as the monarchy and the church, are criticised as valuing their wealth above the lives and welfare of the people
	This is criticising the importance placed on monetary transactions to “fly” or control our lives	The church is described as “black’ning”, suggesting its corrupt nature and the fact that it is failing its moral duty to take care of the poor
	Dharker urges us in the poem to consider what is really important

Differences:

Topic sentence	In London, the oppression and control seems relentless and unending, whereas in Tissue the reader is given the opportunity to make better choices
Evidence and analysis	Tissue	London
	Dharker uses quatrains, but the rhyme scheme is irregular, reflecting the irregularity and flimsiness of life itself	Blake uses regular quatrains and a  cyclical structure, with the poem written mainly in lambic pentameter
	The use of enjambment suggests that freedom can be found even in the most controlled of situations	This reflects the control imposed on the city and is symbolic of the relentless oppression and control its citizens experience
	The final single line breaks free and reminds us of our own mortality, and the choices we can make	In London, the imagery is negative and pessimistic throughout, suggesting that there is no end to the suffering
	Some of the imagery used is both hopeful and powerful, such as “Paper that lets the sun shine through”, suggesting that humanity should allow what is important to dominate our lives	The people are locked in their “mind-forg’d manacles” so that they are either unable or unwilling to rise up and break free