Decomposition (Zulfikar Ghose)

Decomposition by Zulfikar Ghose describes a photograph taken by the speaker of a beggar sleeping on a pavement in Bombay. At first, the speaker treats the image as an interesting artistic “composition”, but later reflects critically on their own attitude. The poem explores poverty, suffering, and the ethics of turning human hardship into art. You can read the poem below and find analysis further down the page.

Decomposition by Zulfikar Ghose

I have a picture I took in Bombay

of a beggar asleep on the pavement:

grey-haired, wearing shorts and a dirty shirt,

his shadow thrown aside like a blanket.

His arms and legs could be cracks in the stone,

routes for the ants’ journeys, the flies’ descents,

Brain-washed by the sun into exhaustion,

he lies veined into stone, a fossil man.

Behind him there is a crowd passingly

bemused by a pavement trickster and quite

indifferent to this very common sight

of an old man asleep on the pavement.

I thought it then a good composition

and glibly called it “The Man in the Street,”

remarking how typical it was of

India that the man in the street lived there.

His head in the posture of one weeping

into a pillow chides me now for my

presumption at attempting to compose

art of his hunger and solitude.

Analysis 

Structure

Free Verse Form

The poem is written in free verse with no regular rhyme scheme. This reflects the disorder and harshness of the beggar’s life. It also mirrors the speaker’s shifting thoughts and growing self-awareness.

Shift in Perspective (Volta)

The poem changes direction in the final section:

“I thought it then a good composition”

The tone shifts from observation to self-criticism. The speaker begins to question their moral position.

Enjambment

Lines flow across breaks without punctuation. Reflects continuous observation and uneasy thought processes. Creates a sense of discomfort and lack of control.

Themes

Poverty and Suffering

The poem highlights extreme poverty in urban India.

Quote

“a beggar asleep on the pavement”

Emphasises homelessness and vulnerability.

Art and Ethics

The poem questions whether it is acceptable to turn suffering into art.

Quote

“a good composition”

Suggests emotional distance from human suffering. Shows objectification of the beggar.

Guilt and Responsibility

The speaker later feels morally uncomfortable.

Quote

“chides me now”

Suggests internal criticism and regret. Indicates growing awareness of wrongdoing.

Indifference of Society

The crowd ignores the suffering man.

Quote

“indifferent to this very common sight”

Highlights normalisation of poverty. Suggests social neglect.

Dehumanisation

The beggar is compared to an object or landscape.

Quote

“fossil man”

Suggests he is lifeless and forgotten. Reduces him to something ancient and inert.

Tone

Detached

At first, the speaker observes the scene like an artist.

Quote

“I thought it then a good composition”

Suggests emotional distance from suffering.

Observational

The description is detailed but impersonal.

Quote

“routes for the ants’ journeys”

Focus on physical imagery rather than emotion.

Critical

The speaker later judges their own behaviour.

Quote

“chides me now”

Shows self-reproach and moral awareness.

Reflective

The poem ends with reconsideration and regret.

Quote

“presumption at attempting to compose / art of his hunger and solitude”

Recognises ethical wrongdoing.

Language and Imagery

Visual Imagery

Quote

“grey-haired, wearing shorts and a dirty shirt”

Creates a stark, realistic image of poverty.

Metaphor

Quote

“his shadow thrown aside like a blanket”

Suggests neglect and invisibility. Shadow becomes a symbol of abandonment.

Quote

“fossil man”

Implies the man is lifeless and forgotten by society.

Simile

Quote

“like cracks in the stone”

Compares the beggar’s body to broken ground. Suggests decay and suffering.

Personification

Quote

“Brain-washed by the sun”

Suggests the environment has destroyed his energy and identity.

Contrast

The still beggar vs moving crowd. Human suffering vs artistic observation.

Quote

“indifferent”

Highlights emotional disconnect.

Irony

Quote

“good composition”

Irony lies in treating human suffering as aesthetic beauty.

Powerful Final Reflection

Quote

“art of his hunger and solitude”

Directly questions the morality of the speaker’s actions. Emphasises exploitation of suffering.

Key Quotes to Memorise

Context

• Zulfikar Ghose is a Pakistani-American poet who often explores themes of identity, displacement and cultural observation.
• The poem reflects experiences of poverty in India (Bombay, now Mumbai).
• It raises ethical questions about photography and representation.
• The speaker’s changing attitude suggests awareness of Western detachment when observing poverty in developing countries.
• The poem encourages readers to consider the responsibility of artists and observers when representing human suffering.

Grade 8–9 Interpretation

Ghose presents poverty not only as a social issue but also as a moral challenge for those who observe and represent it. The speaker’s journey from detached artist to self-critical observer highlights the ethical tension between aesthetic appreciation and human suffering. Ultimately, the poem suggests that turning real lives into “art” risks dehumanising those who are already marginalised.

Exam Tip

When analysing Decomposition, focus on how Ghose uses dehumanising imagery, contrast and the shift in perspective to explore poverty and artistic responsibility. Always link language choices to the poem’s central ethical question: can suffering ever be turned into art without exploitation?

You can find analysis of all the Eduqas Poetry Anthology Poems here.