Analysing the Poem 'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Dharker presents her attitude to power in ‘Tissue’.
Key learning points
- Paper is presented as seemingly important to our lives but is ultimately insignificant.
- This free verse poem, without regular rhyme, reflects the unsteady nature of tissue, power and the transience of life.
- The early focus is on paper ‘tissue’ and its connection to human power. The latter focus is on human ‘tissue’ and life.
- The poem uses an extended metaphor throughout, comparing ‘tissue’ to human life.
Keywords
Free verse - poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular rhythm
Quatrain - a stanza in a poem consisting of four lines
Extended metaphor - a type of metaphor that is developed throughout a piece of writing
Transient - something lasting for a short time only (life can be described as transient)
Common misconception
The poem has a regular, repetitive structure of nine, unrhyming quatrains.
Although most of the poem is written in this way, there is a sudden and sharp break to this form with the final stanza being a single line. You may wish to discuss this with your class (learning cycle 2 discusses the significance of this break).
Teacher tip
After completing this lesson students will have a very strong plan for the question 'How does Dharker present the theme of power in the poem?’. You may wish to follow up this lesson with an essay writing lesson where students complete this task.
Equipment
You will need access to a copy of the poem 'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker which can be found in the AQA 'Power and Conflict' poetry anthology for GCSE.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.As a young child Dharker moved from Lahore, a city in Pakistan to , a city in Scotland.
Q2.The poem 'Tissue' takes advantage of the different things we associate with 'tissue', including: fragility, human life, and documents. What is it called when we associate something with other things?
Q3.In the poem 'Tissue', Dharker uses the word 'you' to communicate to the audience. What is the name of this technique?
Q4.Arguably, Dharker refused to accept the role of Poet Laureate in 2019 to preserve the __________ nature of her work.
Q5.Throughout 'Tissue', Dharker makes lots of references to paper and documents. Why?
Q6.The poem 'Tissue' has stanzas of four lines. What is the term for stanzas in a poem that have 4 lines?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.A major idea in the poem 'Tissue' is the __________ of human power
Q2.Which religious text does Dharker reference in the poem 'Tissue'?
Q3.Dharker uses an extended metaphor in 'Tissue' comparing the fragility of 'tissue' to the fragility of life. Which words does Dharker use that could be considered part of this extended metaphor?
Q4.The poem 'Tissue' is written in which type of verse, highlighting the fact it has an unsteady rhythm and does not rhyme?
Q5.In 'Tissue', Dharker encourages us to consider the transience of life. What does this mean?
Q6.Andeep said: ''Tissue' has a regular structure of nine quatrains that don't rhyme.' What would you say to Andeep?
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Analysing the Poem 'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 English lesson on: Analysing the Poem 'Tissue' by Imtiaz Dharker, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 4 English lessons from the Power and conflict poetry continued unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.