Here is another unseen poetry practice for you all. As many comments as possible please. Before you write, ensure that you’ve read what others have to say so that you can build and develop the responses.
The Right Word
Outside the door,
lurking in the shadows,
is a terrorist.
Is that the wrong description?
Outside that door,
taking shelter in the shadows,
is a freedom-fighter.
I haven’t got this right.
Outside, waiting in the shadows,
is a hostile militant.
Are words no more
than waving, wavering flags?
Outside your door,
watchful in the shadows,
is a guerrilla warrior.
God help me.
Outside, defying every shadow,
stands a martyr.
I saw his face.
No words can help me now.
Just outside the door,
lost in shadows,
is a child who looks like mine.
One word for you.
Outside my door,
his hand too steady,
his eyes too hard
is a boy who looks like your son, too.
I open the door.
Come in, I say.
Come in and eat with us.
The child steps in
and carefully, at my door,
takes off his shoes.
IMTIAZ DHARKER
Miss Ryan's GCSE English & Media 
could say that he may be a perfectionest as he can not find the right words to describe this child, also it brings up a world issue with children in warfare and also we can solve it by offering them in your house and offering food 🙂
A very thoughtful response.
I could just simply be trying to take a diffrent view on someone we may see as a terrorist. He doesn’t simply accept him as being a terrorist, becasue the narrator is trying to show all the other things he is (A martyr, a freedom fighter). This is further shown by the diffrent ways the shadows in which this person is hiding in. Prehaps the shadows represent the darknes of the world, e.g a warzone. And this person who the narrator is desciribing is simply just trying to find their way through this dakr place they find themselves in.
Exploratory and insightful look at the symbolism of darkness.
The poet keeps using ‘Outside’ which could be because we judge people without knowing who they really are or there reasons are we just look at them from the outside. My favourite lines are ‘lurking in the shadows’ because it reminds me of Scooby Doo 🙂 which gives it mysterious feel. I also like ‘Defying every shadow’ as its like fighting on despite the darkness.
Humorous and personal engagement with ideas.
I think the poem is about how you judge people, it makes the reader realise that every person has more than one side to them, therefore, you should think before judging people. Furthermore, the comparisons from a terrorist to a child contrast each other a lot. this may make the reader think that everyone has different sides to them. By saying “Are words no more than waving, wavering flags?” the poet could be trying too suggest that words have less meaning than than most people believe, as flags fly and change directions, just like words can. The end is also powerful as the poet tries to engage with the reader by talking about their family and then going on to say how polite they are. This would make the reader think more about their actions.
Great analysis of reader interpretations.
I think that the poem is about what a person sees can be mistaken. This is supported by the the author questioning himself ‘Is that the wrong description?’ The use of the rhetorical question implies uncertainty and the view of the person being unclear. This is further supported when Dharker says he ‘ haven’t got this right.’ This suggests he is confused about what he is really seeing and what he thinks he is seeing. This represent the mind of people- you often see what you think, but by opening your mind you see other various possiblities that there are. This is seen when the flags were ‘waving, wavering flags’. This represents the flowing mind and open views. Also,’ i open the door’ implies that Dharker has set his mind to be free which is why he sees thet reality of the child. First he has a set mind as he states there ‘is a terrorist.’ This direct statement implies that Dharker is sure there is a terrorist and convinces himself for a moment. Then he says ‘No words can help me now’ which means that he is not sure who or what is really there- he cannot describe it.
Through the words ‘your child’ and ‘my child’ addresses the reader. This shows that all are equal further suggesting that all people are equal.
Sustained and developed focus on analysing language and ideas.
Does anybody want to comment/explore/analyse structure now?
As he is first reffered to as terrorist , i think she is saying how at first someone maybe mis-interprated because that is what we are led to believe. She had also wanted to show that there are two sides to people and they are also prejudged. I believe it is also an insight into someones mind and the process from moving from uncertainty to certainty. The questions and alternate ways of describing someone suggest this is full of doubt, and nothing can infact be certain until we see it from a personal level.
The structure of the poem is uneven- there are different numbers of lines in each stanza. This suggests the uneveness of the mind and uncertainty. It shows the confusion of people and prejudice views. Furthermore the short verses show how quikly people judge others which is why the ‘child’ was misinterpreted as a ‘terrorist’.
Being called a “terrorist” shows how easily it is to be prejudged and this shows that even humnas make mistakes. As the poem goes on we see that the person outside is innocent and picked on.
in mines and roshanis opinion we think that the women is unsure about this person ‘terrorist’ as she first claims and then she goes on about highher status people for exaple ‘guerrilla warrior’ she goes negative and then possitive, this shows us that she has mixed feelings on who this so called shadow is.
The irregular structure shows how confused he is with the child outside his house in the shadows. The poem has nine stanzas which could link to the month when terrosits attacked the twin towers. Each stanza varies from 3 to 5 lines. Gregg and me both like the fact he is talking to himself
you can tell she watched tooo much TV, ‘wild imagination’
watches*
the poem uses short stanzers to show how to say the poem.
Gathering from the title; its palpable that in links with the text.
The protagonist is finding it strenuous to come to terms, on what to label a “Terrorist” as.
The speaker has conflict with their conscience each time they sate a name, they’re scarcely regretful (we discriminate and stereotype terrorists; we deem they’re malicious; however no always the case) evidently this is what the speaker is trying to get across. They show sympathy towards terrorists.
Coming towards the end the speaker states “is a child who likes like mine” which gives the impression of innocence and naivety.
The term “Lurking” suggest slyly and unexpected which links with “terrorists” and children..