Water (Symbol)
In the most basic sense, water symbolizes life. The human body is composed mostly of water, and requires it to continue life. The first stanza of "Blessing" reads, "The skin cracks like a pod. / There never is enough water," evoking drought (Lines 1-2). Without water, both humans and the earth suffer. In the poem, water is transformed into an encounter with the divine. The line "There never is enough water" is the only one to actually use the word "water." Following this line, water is characterized as "the voice of a kindly god," "fortune," "silver," "flow," "liquid sun," and "blessing." Everyone in the community shares the experience of gathering to collect the water, contributing to their survival and the survival of their children at least for a time.
Light (Symbol)
Light symbolizes hope, clarity, and presence in the poem "Blessing." It appears only in the final stanza, which focuses on the playing children. They run "screaming in the liquid sun, / their highlights polished to perfection, / flashing light" (Lines 19-21). Light and water are entwined in this description. Both are essential for survival, but in some places of the world, there are seasons of extremity in which one is out of balance. For example, this poem takes place in India's dry season, where lack of water is common, and heat and light from the sun are overabundant. However, due to the accident of the burst pipe, water and light are in perfect balance. The children are fully immersed in the joy of the moment, and the poet uses light to help clarify the image of this community encountering the divine through water.
Municipal Pipe (Symbol)
The municipal pipe provides a political undercurrent in the poem "Blessing." That the pipe is municipal means that it belongs to the government. It is the government, then, that controls the only water source available to the people of Dharavi during the dry season. Only by accident are they able to access this water when the pipe bursts. This suggests a criticism of the ways that governments interact with people who inhabit places such as Dharavi. The poem does not explicitly state this, but the description of the municipal pipe bursting implies the lack of action on the part of the government to help the community survive.
