Hardi info

• Choman Hardi was born in 1974. She spent the first part of her life in Southern Kurdistan before her family moved to Iran in 1975. Four years later they returned to Iraq. However, they had to flee again in 1988 when Saddam Hussein started attacking the Kurdish people with chemical weapons.

• • In 1993 she entered the United Kingdom as a refugee. She studied philosophy and

psychology at Queen’s College, Oxford, completed an MA in philosophy at University College London and did a PhD at the University of Kent.

• • She is a poet, translator and painter. However, she has not painted for some time

because of a lack of time.• • She had collections of her poems published in Kurdish before she started writing in

English. One of the reasons she began writing in English was because she wanted to share her poetry, something very important to her, with her friends. She had tried translating what she had written from Kurdish into English but found that it didn’t really work. For example, Kurdish poems use many more adjectives than English ones.

Objective: to learn about the themes covered in conflict poetry.Outcome: Annotated poetry

At the border

‘It is your last check-in point in this country!’We grabbed a drink –soon everything would taste different. The land under our feet continueddivided by a thick iron chain. My sister put her leg across it.‘Look over here,’ she said to us,‘my right leg is in this countryand my left leg in the other.’The border guards told her off. My mother informed me: We are going home.She said that the roads are much cleanerthe landscape is more beautifuland people are much kinder.

Objective: to learn about the themes covered in conflict poetry.Outcome: Annotated poetry

Dozens of families waited in the rain.‘I can inhale home,’ somebody said.Now our mothers were crying. I was five years oldstanding by the check-in pointcomparing both sides of the border. The autumn soil continued on the other sidewith the same colour, the same texture.It rained on both sides of the chain. We waited while our papers were checked,our faces thoroughly inspected.Then the chain was removed to let us through.A man bent down and kissed his muddy homeland.The same chain of mountains encompassed all of us.

At the border, 1979‘It is your last check-in point in this country!’We grabbed a drink –soon everything would taste different. The land under our feet continueddivided by a thick iron chain. My sister put her leg across it.‘Look over here,’ she said to us,‘my right leg is in this countryand my left leg in the other.’The border guards told her off.

Experience something- family’s

life will change- Apprehension

Adults notice importance of chain- child doesn’t

Playful

stern

Hardi- Born Iraqi Kurdistan 1974- fled Iran when she was a baby. Returned when 5 years old. When 14yrs old Iraq Kurds attacked by chemical weapons. Moved to England when 20.

My mother informed me: We are going home.She said that the roads are much cleanerthe landscape is more beautifuland people are much kinder. Dozens of families waited in the rain.‘I can inhale home,’ somebody said.Now our mothers were crying. I was five years

oldstanding by the check-in pointcomparing both sides of the border.

Mothers are emotional

Repetition – highlight it will be better to a

confused child who thought it would be the

same.

Refugee trying to breathe in all the pleasures and

memories of a former life

Structure- free verse 7 stanzas varying length= conversational. 2nd stanza shorter= key message.

The autumn soil continued on the other sidewith the same colour, the same texture.It rained on both sides of the chain. We waited while our papers were checked,our faces thoroughly inspected.Then the chain was removed to let us through.A man bent down and kissed his muddy

homeland.The same chain of mountains encompassed all of

us.

Language- autobiographical- direct

speech=immediacy- Hardi questions what is the

same and what is different.

Simple uncomplicated language- 2nd language-

nostalgic- distanced from situation and lack of

understanding.

Chain used 4 times- binding/connecting/ty

ing up- collective known for mountain range- reference to

setting and country. Kurdistan-

mountainous area- Kurds identity

repressed.

Questions on ‘At the border’

• What does the poem show us about family?• Why does Hardi use a child’s perspective?• Why does Hardi use repetition in stanza 4?

Objective: to learn about the themes covered in conflict poetry.Outcome: Annotated poetry