Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan (Moniza Alvi)

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi is a reflective poem that explores the speaker's complex feelings about their dual cultural identity and the gifts they receive from their aunts in Pakistan. The poem describes the various gifts, including traditional Pakistani clothing, jewelry, and ornaments, sent by the speaker's aunts. The speaker struggles to reconcile their British upbringing with their Pakistani heritage, feeling both fascinated and alienated by the gifts. The poem delves into themes of cultural identity, belonging, and the longing for acceptance and understanding. You can read the poem below and find analysis further down the page.

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi

They sent me a salwar kameez

 peacock-blue,

 and another

 glistening like an orange split open,

embossed slippers, gold and black

 points curling.

 Candy-striped glass bangles

 snapped, drew blood.

 Like at school, fashions changed

in Pakistan –

 the salwar bottoms were broad and stiff,

 then narrow.

 My aunts chose an apple-green sari,

 silver-bordered

for my teens.

 I tried each satin-silken top –

 was alien in the sitting-room.

 I could never be as lovely

 as those clothes –

I longed

 for denim and corduroy.

 My costume clung to me

 and I was a‑flame,

 I couldn’t rise up out of its ­fire,

 half-English,

 unlike Aunt Jamila.

 I wanted my parents’ camel-skin lamp –

 switching it on in my bedroom,

 to consider the cruelty

and the transformation

 from camel to shade,

 marvel at the colours

 like stained glass.

 My mother cherished her jewellery –

 Indian gold, dangling, filigree.

 But it was stolen from our car.

 The presents were radiant in my wardrobe.

 My aunts requested cardigans

 from Marks and Spencers.

 My salwar kameez

 didn’t impress the schoolfriend

 who sat on my bed, asked to see

 my weekend clothes.

 But often I admired the mirror-work,

 tried to glimpse myself

 in the miniature

 glass circles, recall the story

 how the three of us

 sailed to England.

 Prickly heat had me screaming on the way.

 I ended up in a cot

 in my English grandmother’s dining-room,

 found myself alone,

 playing with a tin boat.

I pictured my birthplace

 from fifties’ photographs.

 When I was older

 there was conflict, a fractured land

 throbbing through newsprint.

Sometimes I saw Lahore –

 my aunts in shaded rooms,

 screened from male visitors,

 sorting presents,

 wrapping them in tissue.

Or there were beggars, sweeper-girls

 and I was there –

 of no ­fixed nationality,

 staring through fretwork

 at the Shalimar Gardens

Analysis:

Title Significance:

The title, "Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan," immediately sets the scene and indicates that the poem will focus on gifts sent to the speaker by their aunts in Pakistan. The title hints at themes of cultural identity and connection to the speaker's heritage.

Setting:

The poem is set in England, where the speaker lives, and Pakistan, the home country of the speaker's aunts. The setting plays a significant role in shaping the speaker's sense of identity and belonging, as they navigate their dual cultural heritage.

Imagery and Sensory Language:

Alvi uses vivid imagery to describe the gifts sent by the speaker's aunts, such as the "peacock-blue salwar kameez" and the "glistening orange split open." Sensory language, such as "candy-striped glass bangles" and "satin-silken top," adds depth and realism to the description of the gifts and the speaker's experiences.

Structure:

The poem consists of several stanzas of varying lengths, with irregular line lengths and no consistent rhyme scheme. The structure mirrors the fragmented nature of the speaker's thoughts and experiences as they reflect on their cultural identity and the gifts from their aunts.

Tone and Mood:

The tone is introspective and contemplative, with a sense of longing and nostalgia for the speaker's cultural heritage. The mood is conflicted and ambivalent, as the speaker grapples with feelings of fascination and alienation towards the gifts from their aunts.

Themes:

Cultural Identity: The poem explores the theme of cultural identity and the speaker's struggle to reconcile their British upbringing with their Pakistani heritage.

Belonging and Alienation: The speaker experiences feelings of both belonging and alienation as they navigate their dual cultural identity and the gifts from their aunts.

Longing and Acceptance: The speaker longs for acceptance and understanding from both their British peers and their Pakistani relatives, but feels disconnected from both.

Language and Diction:

Alvi's language is descriptive and evocative, with an emphasis on capturing the sensory details of the gifts and the speaker's experiences. The use of figurative language, such as similes and metaphors, adds depth and complexity to the speaker's reflections on their cultural identity.

Conclusion:

Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi is a reflective poem that delves into the complexities of cultural identity and belonging. Through vivid imagery and introspective language, Alvi captures the speaker's conflicted feelings towards their dual heritage and the gifts from their aunts. The poem offers a poignant exploration of longing, acceptance, and the search for identity in a multicultural world.

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Time and Place Poetry Anthology Poems here.