Kishwar naheed i am not that woman. Poetry Analysis: Kishwar Naheed’s “I am not that Woman” 2022-10-25
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"I Am Not That Woman" is a powerful poem written by Pakistani feminist poet Kishwar Naheed. In this poem, Naheed asserts her identity and agency as a woman, refusing to be defined by traditional gender roles and expectations.
The poem begins with the phrase "I am not that woman," which immediately sets the tone of defiance and resistance. Naheed rejects the notion that women should be submissive and obedient, and instead asserts her own voice and identity. She declares that she is not a "meek and timid creature," but rather a strong and independent woman who is capable of making her own choices and decisions.
Throughout the poem, Naheed challenges various societal expectations placed on women, such as the expectation to be a good wife and mother, to be beautiful and attractive, and to conform to traditional gender roles. She rejects these expectations and asserts her own identity, declaring that she is not defined by her appearance or her relationship to men.
One of the most powerful lines in the poem is "I am not a toy / To be played with by men." This line highlights the objectification of women and the way in which they are often treated as mere objects for men's pleasure. Naheed rejects this treatment and declares that she is a person with her own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
In the final stanza, Naheed addresses the men who try to control and oppress women, telling them that they will not succeed. She declares that women will rise up and fight against their oppression, and that they will no longer be silenced or oppressed.
Overall, "I Am Not That Woman" is a powerful and poignant poem that speaks to the struggle of women to assert their identity and agency in a society that often seeks to define and control them. Naheed's words resonate with many women who have faced similar challenges and encourage them to stand up for themselves and their rights.
Kishwar Naheed: I am not that woman
She rebels, guaranteeing that chains are unequipped for choking out her smell. We already know that she is Asian, this may link to maybe her husband or father treating her badly because of culture traditions. The phrase living room is also a metaphor for home, which in this case is Africa. She was suffocated in the sake of superfluous customs and traditions. During his reign, her husband, Yousuf Kamran was in jail under martial law.
They were suggested to take a flight to Lahore since the train was unsafe. She did not want to identify herself with the man on the poster who was selling socks and shoes. We regard Kishwar Naheed as Aapabecause she is the patron-saint of not only all women in Pakistan but also the feminist movement across South Asia! So partition itself does find a mention in her celebrated memoir Buri Aurat Ki Kathabut it does not affect her work per se like it did her distinguished contemporaries like Intizar Hussain also a fellow Bulandshahri , Abdullah Hussein or Quratulain Hyder. The racism is most likely to come from white South African men. Naheed makes the case that women deserve respect and are not commodities through a somewhat feminist worldview.
She has herself told me that there was a news blockade imposed by the Pakistani military dictatorship on any news coming from East Pakistan and so even when she accompanied a delegation of Pakistanis on a fact-finding mission to Dhaka at the height of the bloodbath there, she fled in horror from the carnage on a plane. Overall there is a distinct and clear difference and comparison between the ways the two poems represent oppression. Very poetic language is used in its appeal, she looks to nature to ease her life. When Bangladesh was formed 1971 she was in Moscow working for the Information Ministry. This verifies the fact that part of her oppression has come from racism.
She was traded for the sake of virtuousness. This builds up a feeling of repition, tediousness and routine. Regardless of the way that she can stroll on water while suffocating, she is offered to let herself free from a burden. This links to the apartheid of how white South Africans where racist to black South Africans whom were made slaves. She seems to represent oppression in the form of mental pains.
Naheed exposes the disturbing mentality of many eastern cultures that women are simply burdens and objects. Naheed focuses on this point, attempting to demonstrate that compelling a woman to believe her self-worth is inextricably related to her body is a powerful type of oppression that we as a culture are failing to confront. Now, even if the night gives chase these eyes shall not be put out. She brings this fact up again in the next line too. In this last phrase she has included the tile of the poem and repeated the fact she will not be beaten. Women are completely objectified to the point where they are no longer considered persons, but merely means of pleasure and fulfilment. Indeed, even her parents saw her as a burden, bringing about an early marriage.
This stanza reveals quite a lot about the women and her daily life, but this stanza is different to the others. To let her fragrance emanate permeating others life with meaning. She wishes to remind and caution the exploiter that, in spite of her disguise behind the walls, her voice can't be quieted. This poem has very less poetic devices. She asserts that while this female ego may have been coerced into drowning by being sold as a burden in marriage, she continues to reject their characterization of her.
Compare and contrast the representation of oppression in I Am Not That Woman and Still I Rise
The speaker discusses motherhood. Straight away the writer addresses to the reader. I believe that Kishwar Aapa is the most prolific and varied Urdu poet of our time! She could feel claustrophobic, she is stuck in this house twenty four seven only for the enjoyment of the man. Answer: The speaker is acutely aware of her exploitative situation. When attempts were made to drown her, the people in question underestimated her powers as she could even walk on water.
I Am Not that Women, Poem by Kishwar Naheed: Summary Analysis Essay Example
The theme of Commodification is also very clear in the poem. Which for her is to be a free, proud and strong black woman. Many excellent Urdu poets have achieved this to perfection like Parveen Shakir, Ada Jafri and Zehra Nigah who is still living and active ; among contemporary poets you have Tanvir Anjum, Yasmeen Hameed, Ambreen Salahuddin, Fatema Hasan, Shahida Hasan and Azra Abbas, but Naheed has also written about other issues and continues to write about them. She is against the idea of lady being treated as a ware in the male overwhelmed society. She is trying to ask why a black woman being upset could upset you.
Poetry Analysis: Kishwar Naheed’s “I am not that Woman”
Just before partition, during World War II, there was a shortage of resources. Consider the frequency with which the C occurs. What other issues does her work highlight? She moved to Pakistan during the partition of sub-continent in 1947. Personification is attributing human characteristics to an inanimate object, animal, or abstract idea. Of course, this can not be generalized to every country and city, but many eastern cultures do carry this mentality even today. She somehow creates an angry tone, which could show that this message and poem is directed to someone who has hurt her.
These lines show she craves relaxation. The speaker revilts gains a male consumerist society that relegated her as she claims: I am the commodity you traded in, My chastity, my motherhood, my loyalty. The speaker claims that he can only imprison her physical being and not her spiritual self for her voice could be heard. The third one is very special because when the unfortunate George Floyd was murdered in Minnesota in May last year, I rang Kishwar Aapa up and insisted that there must be a poem on this. She asserts that a nation with enslaved minds cannot be liberated.
