This poem was a response to the terrorist event 9/11. The poet is confused, insecure and no trust is portrayed to the reader. Throughout the poem the noun and the verb constantly changes. When the poet changes the noun to describe the figure standing outside the door which appear to be negative then positive for example the physical appearance of the figure to look like a terrorist. This is a very harsh word to apply to a person, it can also be very discriminating and racist. In addition the recent event of 9/11 means the word terrorist creates controversy, especially towards Arab and Islamic people. Then there is a contrast in the meaning of the verb is adjusted to freedom fighter which is someone who fights against an unjust government but this is for a good reason. The development of the poem carries on like this the change of nouns from positive to negative. Also the verbs are describing the movement of the figure, normally making them more suspicious, threatening, vulnerable or they are taking protection. As the poem progresses the poet becomes less threatened and more familiar with the person its encountering. The phobia towards Islamic and Arabic people means the poet was like the majority of people at that time, uncomfortable and scared. But as the figure approached her house she mentions ” Is a child who looks like mine”. This transmits a message how people acted after the terrorist attack, doubting and having no trust with the people around them.

In my opinion I think the poet has a Islamic or Arabic background, because these were the people that were demonised and put inferior compared to everyone else, so by saying “Is a child who looks like mine” gives us the impression the child was from those backgrounds. At this point there was a relief from the audience knowing that there was no harm towards the poet. In the next stanza, there’s a description of the child approaching the poet and there was contact between them.

“His hand too steady, his eyes too hard” reflect to the reader that the child was petrified and mentally feeling down. From this quote I get a feeling on how badly the Arabic and Islamic people felt during that period of time, even though they were normal humans and a minority of people portrayed a negative view towards us and also creating a stereotype which can damage peoples emotions.