"I am not that Woman" by Kishwar Naheed

 

I am not that woman 

Selling you socks and shoes! 

Remember me, I am the one you hid 

In your walls of stone, while you roamed 

Free as the breeze, not knowing 

That my voice cannot be smothered by stones, 

I am the one you crushed 

With the weight of custom and tradition 

Not knowing 

That light cannot be hidden in darkness. 

Remember me, 

I am the one in whose lap 

You picked flowers 

And planted thorns and embers 

Not knowing 

That chains cannot smother my fragrance 

I am the woman 

Whom you bought and sold 

In the name of my own chastity 

Not knowing 

That I can walk on water 

When I am drowning. 

I am the one you married off 

To get rid of a burden 

Not knowing 

That a nation of captive minds 

Cannot be free. 

I am the commodity you traded in, 

My chastity, my motherhood, my loyalty. 

Now it is time for me to flower free. 

The woman on that poster, half-naked, selling socks and shoes- 

No, no, I am not that woman! 

 "I Am Not That Woman"  Summary 

The poem "I Am Not That Woman" is a strong, angry statement from a woman who refuses to be controlled by the men in her society. The speaker begins by completely rejecting the weak, commercialized idea of a woman—the one who is only good for "selling you socks and shoes!" She makes it clear she will not be defined by what men expect or by traditional roles.

The woman then recounts the history of how she has been treated unfairly. She explains that men tried to lock her away behind stone walls and strict customs, while they were allowed to move around "free as the breeze." Despite this effort to suppress her, she declares that her voice and spirit cannot be trapped or smothered.

She continues to criticize the men for crushing her with old traditions and for hurting her after using her—like enjoying the flowers she offered but leaving behind "thorns and embers." A major part of her protest is against being treated like property; she points out the unfairness of being "bought and sold" in the name of keeping her pure. This shows the double standard and hypocrisy of the system.

The poem ends with a powerful message about her hidden strength. The speaker notes that the oppressors don't realize how strong she actually is. She delivers a final, triumphant image: even when she is suffering deeply and seems to be "drowning," she has the secret power to "walk on water." This means her ability to survive and overcome hardship is miraculous and unbeatable. The poem concludes by stating that a country where women are kept captive can never truly be free.

In short, the main ideas of "I Am Not That Woman" are Standing Up for Herself, a fight against being controlled; the denunciation of Unfair Male Dominance and treating women like objects; and the celebration of her Unbreakable Inner Strength that connects a woman's freedom to the freedom of her entire nation.

Themes, 

The central themes explored in "I Am Not That Woman" include:

Feminist Resistance and Defiance: The core theme is the woman's rejection of subjugation and her bold declaration of autonomy. The speaker is not a passive victim but an active rebel against the norms.

Patriarchal Oppression: The poem highlights the specific ways women are oppressed, including physical confinement ("walls of stone"), the burden of custom and tradition, and the societal belief in male superiority.

Commodification of Women (Reification): Naheed addresses how women are "bought and sold"—both literally through practices like dowry and figuratively by reducing them to objects for sale or products in advertising ("Selling you socks and shoes!").

Resilience and Empowerment: Despite the crushing weight of society, the speaker affirms the unconquerable power of the female spirit, symbolized by her voice, fragrance, and her ability to "walk on water when I am drowning."

The Link Between Women's Freedom and National Freedom: The poem suggests that a society that keeps its women enslaved cannot truly claim to be free itself, as a "nation of captive minds / Cannot be free."