Section B · Anthology PoetryImtiaz Dharker · Contemporary
Blessing
Imtiaz Dharker · Edexcel IGCSE anthology poem · 30-mark comparison question · Poems provided in the exam.
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Mrs Rumsey · Edexcel IGCSE AnthologyAnalysis of Blessing
Key analysis
⚡ Section B — 30-mark comparison: AO2 (analyse language, form, structure) + AO3 (compare two poems throughout — not one then the other). Both poems are given in the exam. Quote precisely and explain the effect of specific word choices.
Themes
Water scarcity and poverty in the developing world
Community and shared joy
The miraculous in the everyday
The perspective of those in poverty
Natural imagery and abundance
Form & Structure
4 stanzas of varying length — building like the water pressure until it bursts
Free verse — the irregularity mirrors the unpredictable nature of the pipe burst
Sibilance — hissing, whispering sounds create the impression of water flowing
The central metaphor: water as blessing/gift — contrasted with the pipe's burst which is accidental abundance
Final lines return to individuals from the crowd — grounding the miracle in specific people
Key quotes to memorise
"The skin cracks like a pod. / There never is enough water." — stark, immediate setting
"Imagine the drip of it / the small splash, echo / in a tin mug" — the preciousness of even a small amount
"the municipal pipe bursts / silver crashes to the ground" — the unexpected abundance
"Screaming / in the liquid sun" — joy as overwhelming sensation
"Someone / carries away a tin to their roof" — the individual within the community
Exam questions — 2 questions · 17 marks
1 markReligious language
Why does Dharker use the word "Blessing" and words like "congregation" and "fortune"?
A The poem is set in a religious community and the people are praying for water
B Dharker uses religious language to show that in a context of desperate scarcity, access to water feels genuinely miraculous — a blessing from God — elevating a basic human need to sacred significance
C She uses religious language to criticise the government for not providing clean water
D The congregation are literally gathered for a church service when the pipe bursts
15 marksComparison paragraphSection B style
Write two comparative paragraphs exploring how Blessing and Search for My Tongue both present transformation and the power of things usually taken for granted.
Hint: Compare throughout. Cover: what is transformed in each poem + how form enacts transformation + language choices + key difference (communal vs personal).