2. Choman Hardi (1974-present) is a contemporary Kurdish poet and painter who was born and raised in Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan. She lived in Iran and Turkey before arriving in England in 1993. In 1975 her family fled to Iran but returned to Iraq after a general amnesty in 1979. They were forced to move again in 1988 during the Anfal campaign. She arrived in United Kingdom in 1993 as a refugee.

4. The History The Anfal Campaign A campaign of genocide against the Kurdish people led by Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi regime and headed by Ali Hassan al-Majid (Chemical Ali) lasted from 1986-89 Chemical weapons were used, thousands of civilians were killed and villages destroyed. The name Al-Anfal comes from a section of the Quran (it literally means ‘spoils of war’).

6. Escape Journey, 1988 They force you to crawl, these mountains, even if you are only 14. Who made the first journey over them? Whose feet created this track? Nature won’t differentiate. The girl’s thoughts Words relating to hardship Questioning why would they do this? Emphasise the size of the task.

7. The exhausted mules carry along with the smuggled goods. Sitting on their backs, climbing mountains Feels much safer than going down. The steepness makes me lean backwards, My back nearly touching the mule’s, Then holding on becomes impossible And I dismount. It is easier, safer to walk sideways. us Hidden Running They are travelling down after climbing up. She starts walking enjambment ‘back’ = history Repetition of ‘m’ sound represents a moaning sound.

8. And from high up, I can see the white valley. ‘A valley of plaster,’ I tell my sister. The mule owner says: ‘It is snow.’ But I cannot imagine being rescued from this rough mountain Only to walk over the snow, covering the river. I cannot imagine listening to the rushing water Passing by holes where the river exposes itself. Metaphor She is new to this He is not Imagine the girls’ face at this point Incremental Repetition

9. ‘You are too young to complain.’ the mule owner says, And I look at my father, his little body, And I listen to his difficult breathing. But then again, he’s been here before. Mule man sees her expression Compare to scene- the vast mountains Sympathy. It’s not new for him. He has been here before. Recognising father’s struggle and why.

10. In your commentary, ensure you: 1)Have explored the events in the poem. 2)Identified and analysed Hardi’s use of technique. 3)Explained the tone and how a sense of atmosphere and history develop throughout the poem.