History
“Where is the tomb of Wali Gujarati?” (Pg 76)
Why is this tomb being referenced?
The line refers to a real historical poet whose tomb was destroyed during the 2002 Gujarat riots. The title also suggests that a road was built over his grave, which reflects a real act of cultural erasure.
In Roman Ground, this reference of a goddess is associated with war, destruction, and the personification of ruin and decay.
Who is Lua Saturni?
"catching a cloud in her palm as stocks of blood are gathered on the plain, spread into sheaves, a circlet for bones" (pg 42)
What purpose does the cloud serve as a tool of imagery and symbolism?
It signifies hopes and dreams that cannot be grasped to juxtapose the reality of blood and bones.
"The wind was chill and I moved a little closer.
Then the stones beneath
and the stones around
grew steady in raw Roman ground."
What kind of stone is being described?
What is a ruin?
“The shed where they raped the women is far away” and “the flung bones piled in the shape of a cross.” (Pg 71)
These lines refer to religious conflict in India. The mention of the Ganga also connects the poem to Indian cultural history. The poem shows that personal life and national history exist side by side.
"Dear Mr. Gandhi
It was a cold day the masjid
was torn down stone by stone,
colder still at the heart of Delhi" (pg 80)
What is the masjid being discussed here?
A mosque, the Babri Masjid that was destroyed by Hindu nationalists on 12/6/1992, as they claimed it as the birthplace of Rama, one of the most widely worshipped deities in Hinduism.
"She knew the uses of fire" (pg 29)
In the context of these poems as a whole, what does the speaker mean by this?
The speaker's culture is no stranger to the destruction and violence that comes with fire, but it could also signify rebirth.
“My soul naked, unashamed,/ watching from a distance/ the body, old sari/ washed with blue soap,/ folded with care, set on a stone/ Giotto painted beside a laughing shepherd boy”
Why is this description of a stone powerful in a cultural context?
It contrasts the grief of death with the pleasure of Westerners (Giotto).
“clouds of war float over the ziggurat of Ur” (Pg 65)
What is the author suggesting with this imagery?
The author suggests that even the oldest civilizations are not safe from modern warfare. Ancient history is being destroyed by contemporary conflict. This shows how war repeats across time.
“and Ghalib's ghost hidden in a burka, pouncing at crickets." (Pg 15）
Why is Ghalib important in this line?
The reference to Ghalib is a cultural reference to the Indo-Islamic literary tradition. By describing his ghost hidden in a burka, Alexander suggests that cultural memory survives, but it is veiled and endangered in times of violence.
"He says 'Here is your jawbone'... He says 'Here is your grandfather's thighbone" (pg 29)
How do bones connect to the topic of violence and why it is discussed so thoroughly?
Bones serve as a physical memory of pain and what has been lost, flowing through generations of suffering.
"Stones sang/ canticles in my mouth/ as darkness rose." (pg 63)
What does the use of canticles change about the use of stones?
Canticles, being sacred religious hymns, gives the imagery of the speaker telling ancient tragedies that coincide with the current tragedies (as darkness rose).