[Justcallmejess]

I'm trying to gather up some notes for the poem "An Unknown Girl" by Moniza Alvi, which features in the "Identity" section of the Edexcel GCSE English anthology.
I'm struggling to analyse it, and the online resources are really limited.
I was just wondering if anyone had any notes or ideas about the poem, or any good links or resources they could direct me to?

Thanks in advance!

[gilllybeans]

Have you tried Hitchingbrooke school powerpoints. I usually find them really beneficial. Their information is accurate and you can produce an A* essay just by copying sentences from it.
Good Luck with your exam. I'm sure you will do really well because your spelling and grammar are great. I'm presuming you are an A* student, you definitely sound like you are (conscience and destined to do great things).

[Justcallmejess]

(Original post by gilllybeans)
Have you tried Hitchingbrooke school powerpoints. I usually find them really beneficial. Their information is accurate and you can produce an A* essay just by copying sentences from it.
Good Luck with your exam. I'm sure you will do really well because your spelling and grammar are great. I'm presuming you are an A* student, you definitely sound like you are (conscience and destined to do great things).

Wow Gilllybeans, that was a really insightful and sophisticated response. You sound like a very mature young woman. Your dedication and commitment to your exams radiates through the pixels on my screen.

Unfortunately however, the Hitchingbrooke School PowerPoint on this precise poem is, quite frankly, atrocious. I simply cannot cope with the formatting, and the annotations are not beneficial to my education.

Oh golly gee, oh woe is me.
^ Please note the presence of internal rhyme.

You, Miss Gilllybeans, have excellent presentation skills. You are destined to EXCEL. (Note similarities to the exam board in question: EDEXCEL).
Please, oh great one, could you provide me with another resource?

You. Sound. Cool.

[gilllybeans]

I'm sorry to hear my response to your query was not sufficient. I will try to work hard to improve.
I have found this website http://www.brighthub.com/arts/books/articles/66565.aspx during my studies. I am not sure how useful it is, I quite frankly do not trust the creator of it (she looks a little dodgy (colloquilism) and like someone I know).
I do hope this source benefits your studies as it is vital that you succeed and go on to do great things (just like you-know-who).
Please forgive if the source is unnsuitable. However, I do not know if I will be able to forgive myself.

[Justcallmejess]

Oh why thank you honey, that resource was excellent! However, I am afraid I had to scroll down immediately. The resemblance is striking, it blew my mind. (That choice of language was not coincidental). I'll let you in on a little secret Gilllybeans, because I like you. There is no such thing as good and evil; only power and those to weak to seek it. Some people say it's true. Codswallop in my opinion. (Informal colloquialisms in order to engage and retain the interest of the reader).

Thank you my sweet!

[gilllybeans]

(Original post by Justcallmejess)
Oh why thank you honey, that resource was excellent! However, I am afraid I had to scroll down immediately. The resemblance is striking, it blew my mind. (That choice of language was not coincidental). I'll let you in on a little secret Gilllybeans, because I like you. There is no such thing as good and evil; only power and those to weak to seek it. Some people say it's true. Codswallop in my opinion. (Informal colloquialisms in order to engage and retain the interest of the reader).

Thank you my sweet!

I'm so glad I could help you. You really have been an inspiration to me and my kind. Long live Justcallmejess, I treasure your kind words.
Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
<3<3<3

[Justcallmejess]

Such wise words from one so young.

hiasss syhtthh ssssss
That was parceltongue for: The sly fox is always watching.

[shakyavs56]

Guys the following note is about the Moniza Alvi's poem "An Unknown Girl" -

Structure -
The poem is just one stanza.
It’s a 1st person autobiographical poem.
The poet is remembering getting her hand hennaed by a girl in an Indian bazaar. At the end of the poem the reader gets the idea that the poet is an Indian who lives in another country and wants to hold onto her culture.

Mood in the Poem -
The mood of the poem is very strong and determined.
The strength is shown though the bright bold colours used.
The determined tone is shown through the passion of her culture that she wants to hold onto.


Moniza Alvi's Imaginery -
She uses metaphors on lines, 7,27 and 45.

- “She is icing my hand”

- “I have new brown veins”

“I’ll lean across a country”

In the poem there is use of similes.

- “I am clinging to these peacock lines like people who cling to the sides of trains.”

- “reveal soft as a snail trail the amber bird beneath”.


Language -
Line 3 and 4 is repeated onto lines 12 and13, and 30 and 31. “An unknown girl is hennaing my hand”

She uses a lot of colour references throughout the poem to emphasise what the Indian bazaar must have looked like.

Effects made the poet -
Because Alvi uses a lot of metaphors, similes and uses a lot of reference to bright colours, she creates an image for the reader so they can share her memory with her.

She makes the reader interested in the Indian culture, because they see the contrast between our culture and theirs.





Hope THIS is useful to u Guys....................