Structure and Form
Free verse and enjambment create a flowing, conversational tone that mirrors life's unpredictability. Dharker deliberately uses no rhyme scheme to show how humans can't actually control nature or their own lives as much as they'd like to think.
The poem's quatrains (four-line stanzas) represent the restrictive nature of human power and control. Yet the irregular rhythm suggests that freedom can still be found even within these limitations.
The first three stanzas focus on paper's importance in our lives, whilst stanzas 4-6 explore the paradox that something so fragile can hold such power over us. This structure itself acts as an extended metaphor - the stanzas are arranged like layers of human tissue.
Key Point: The poem's structure literally represents its message - we're all just fragile layers that won't last forever.
