Alvi also employs the use of set lines in key moments of the poem to highlight key aspects of identity. At the height of the poem, when Moniza Alvi feels deeply connected to her culture, she claims to have "new brown veins." This is the first final line we encounter in the entire poem, and Alvi uses it to emphasize his connection to this new aspect of his identity. The “brown” she’s referring to is the henna someone does on a peacock’s hand. Henna, along with the peacock, symbolizes India and Indian cultural identity, as henna is associated with India and the peacock is the Indian national bird. The fact that she has "new brown veins" shows the extent of the impact of the henna experience on the speaker, because the brown of both henna and peacock is within her, meaning that the identity Indian cultural is in it. Not only is it in her, but it has become her “veins”; it is necessary for it to live, because we need our veins to carry blood to our body. This illustrates to the reader how significant the speaker's experience was, as it not only affected her, but became crucial to her very survival. The other use of the second and final stopped line occurs at the lowest point of the line. novel, where the tone shifts from comfort and happiness to sadness and desire. The speaker describes how the henna will "disappear in a week." Henna continues to be the symbol of India and Indian cultural identity, which the speaker does not want to lose. The use of the stopped line emphasizes his sadness at possibly losing this new aspect of his own identity, because when something fades, it is a sadder event than when something disappears completely... middle of paper. .....I could imagine, they are holding on for their lives, because if they let go, they will fall off the train and most likely be killed. She compares her desire to retain henna, which represents the Indian aspect of her identity, and the Indian identity she discovered at the bazaar, to desperately clinging to her life on a fast train. This illustrates to the reader how desperately she wants to hold on to this experience and her new identity. Moniza Alvi uses a wide variety of techniques, from set lines and structure formatting, to rhyme, tone, and even imagery and language in an attempt to explore the broad concept of identity. She successfully explores the concept of identity and conveys to the reader the meaningful message that discovering one's true identity is highly valued and very meaningful. Works Cited “An Unknown Girl” by Moniza Alvi