Ghazal - Mr Bruff - A* Analysis

Mimi Khalvati - Born in Iraq and spent her childhood in the UK, studied around the world and is well-traveled. One of the founders at a poetry school in London. Her themes are usually feminist pieces and many involve love. Women as a forgotten or hidden voice. Many poems have a multi-cultural persepctive and span of Islam in this poem and others.

Ghazal

Form of a Ghazal is rhyming couplets and a repeated phrase, each line should have the same metre and each couplet is a singular thought or image, they don't have to have any link to the other couplets. Almost like a list of thoughts. 6th century style of writing; ancient. It should address a mortal beloved and attainable love. At the same time there should also a divine love (a love for God) This is extremely ambiguous and very religious style of poetry.

If I am the grass and you the breeze, blow through me. If I am the rose and you the bird, then woo me.

The way the poet refers to herself as 'grass' as the plant depends on other things to live. It is also a fixed constant. The 'breeze' as the man isn't and this shows a femminist way of speaking and how the man has more freedom in the women. This is also shown in the second metaphor with the 'bird' abd the 'rose'. The man is there to help the woman continue her life. 

'If' suggests that there may not be a relationship and this could be in an immagination.

'breeze', 'grass', this sense of how it is God who is blowing through her, the natural imagery highlights this. 'woo me' God is calling her to remember and follow him.

If you are the rhyme and I the refrain, don’t hang on my lips, come and I’ll come too when you cue me.

The first line is the structure of this exact poem. 'when you cue me' links to power and direction, difficult to see the equality. 'don't hang on my lips' showing how she may have forgotten her lines and this relates to the idea of being on stage and 'cues'.

'come and I'll come too' could be very literal, but it may have some references to sex here and a dominance he has over her. 

'cue me' she wants God to control her and let Him control her and direct her throught life.

If yours is the iron fist in the velvet glove when the arrow flies, the heart is pierced, tattoo me.

'Iron fist' can symbolises defiance and is an oxymoron in it's line: "the velvet glove". Suggesting that possibly this is an urequited love. 

'the arrow' is quite a war image and reiterates this possible unrequieted love. It could be simply a metaphor or is there a deeper, darker meaning about she may be damaged by love.

'heart pierced' God's arrow to claim her and mark her with a 'tattoo' as one of…