Living Space Essay Questions

How does the form of "Living Space" support the poem's content?

"Living Space" is composed of three stanzas of varying length written in free verse. This lack of a formal structure (also with no regular rhyme scheme or delineated meter) helps construct the image of the ramshackle housing in the poem. In the first two lines of the poem, the speaker complains that "There are just not enough / Straight lines." This is true of the poem itself, if "straight" were taken to mean formal or balanced in length.

The longest line in the poem reads, "The whole structure leans dangerously" (Line 9). The physical appearance of this line on the page shows that it, too, leans farther out than it should if Dharker were following a traditional form. Again, the lack of traditional form is an important factor in the construction of the poem.

The shortest stanza is composed of three lines which read, "Into this rough frame, / Someone has squeezed / A living space" (Lines 11-13). This stanza is 'squeezed' between two larger ones, which physically demonstrates the content of the lines.

Discuss Dharker's commentary on the structure of poverty.

In "Living Space," the speaker comments on the ramshackle construction of a building. There are not enough straight lines, nothing is flat or parallel, beams balance crookedly on supports thrust off the vertical, nails clutch at open seams, and the whole structure leans dangerously. This building represents the structure of poverty itself, which Dharker criticizes. However, the main focus of the poem is on the human ingenuity and faith that create a life within these structures. The detail of someone leaving eggs in a wire basket is described with the verb "dared," which implies courage and audacity. This suggests that these factors are what it takes to squeeze a life into conditions such as these. Despite the dangerous environment, however, the eggs gather the light into themselves and function as houses of faith in the poem. This implies that Dharker is focused not only on how the structure of poverty creates dangerous circumstances, but on the ways in which humans strive to continue living despite these circumstances.

What do eggs represent in the poem?

In "Living Space," eggs function as an important physical object, as a simile, and as a symbol. On their own, eggs represent the continuation of life both through the possibility of hatching and the nutrition they provide when consumed. The fact that the eggs were placed in a basket in the inhabitants' home shows that the inhabitants intend to continue living by providing for themselves and their family. This action in the poem is written with the verb "dared," implying both courage and audacity.

Placed within the ramshackle structure of the house, the eggs take on the meaning of a different kind of structure. In the final movement of the poem, the poet describes the eggs in terms of faith. The eggs gather "the light / Into themselves, / As if they were / The bright, thin walls of faith" (Lines 19-22). This simile not only compares the eggs to houses of faith, but suggests the comparison between the eggs and the inhabitants of the building themselves. In this way, the eggs become symbolic of human tenacity and the instinct to protect and continue life.