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The form of the poem was used to first draw the readers into a tense situation and then slowly transition into a community that was built. The poem was similar to the style of a short story that followed the flow of a poem making it more personal.

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The form of the poems allows us to see the narrator’s stream of consciousness and shows the relationship forming between all the women in the airport.

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The form of the poem in a more narrative style helps to show the progression of events from a stressful situation to a calm, happy environment. Nye also uses more casual diction, helping to make the poem seem more relaxed as if she was recalling these events to a friend.

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The form of the poem allows the audience to think more vividly of the situation. The structure gives a deeper connection to the narrator and the situation she’s in.

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The poem is more literal with the writing being more clear and easier to understand while maintaining the poetic style

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The form of the poem allows the reader to see and feel the connections in the story. It starts out with a stressed tone but ends in a calm one allowing the reader to see the calming environment.

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The form of a poem helps the story by giving us a narrator to follow their stream of consciousness and understanding the situation in a way that is more laidback and thoughtful. Oppose to a story telling the reader in a matter of fact way with no opinions.

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The form of a poem helps the story by giving us a narrator to follow their stream of consciousness and understanding the situation in a way that is more laidback and thoughtful. Oppose to a story telling the reader in a matter of fact way with no opinions.

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The form of the poem serves the function of allowing the reader to feel connected to the story and the situation even though we are not there. First she describes the events as they are happening, before revealing her own thoughts. This allows for the reader to form their own thoughts and form their own connection, before seeing her thoughts and the connection that she formed.

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The poem forms the function to relieve a conflict by showing a series of events and the tone shifts from a sense of stress to relief.

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The form of the poem serves as a function because with the use of narration we are able to see how the once chaotic gate/airport has turned into a nice calm place for a community. This happens through diction.

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The form of the poem serves in a way that you forget your even reading a poem, with all the correct punctuation and not every line starting capitalized. Maybe it is even a nod to the world being unsystematic, but kindness prosperity still being possible.

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The form of the poem serves a function by being told from the narrators perspective and allows the reader to be in comfort. This can be caused by punctuation, imagery, and descriptive details giving the readers an understanding of the situation

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The form of the poem is simple but meaningful. This makes it more accessible for a variety of different readers, supporting her goal of spreading the message of unity across separate backgrounds

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The form of the poem is simple but meaningful. This makes it more accessible for a variety of different readers, supporting her goal of spreading the message of unity across separate backgrounds

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The narrative structure- including punctuation and dialogue- gives the poem a realistic feel. As if you are there, in the airport, experiencing the sense of community along with the speaker. The fact that it feels so realistic, so grounded in reality as opposed to the abstract whimsy of other poems, makes the theme much more impactful. Nye writes, “This can still happen anywhere. Not everything is lost.” And you believe her.

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The form of the poem serves comfort to the reader. The structure of it goes from stress to unity which makes it a thoughtful narrative.

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It relays its theme through short story elements and figurative language such as imagery, metaphors like the cookie, and punctuation. Allowing for the reader to feel a sense of comfort while digesting the contents of the poem. It’s also written clear and simple for easier understanding

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The form of the poem serves a function because it feels like a short story and makes the reader feel as if they are there in the moment as well. The narrator’s diction also allows for a shift in the poem, from high stress to calm.

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The poem’s form creates a relatively realistic even than the ready is able to imagine themselves in. This makes the story much more memorable and relatable. Punctuation and imagery both work to achieve this.

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The poem starts out so tense and stressful and later creating a more comfortable calming environment.

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The form allows the reader to feel more grounded, as the poem is almost like a story. Most poems have flowing lines and are abstract in their meanings, whereas Gate A4 has a straightforward format and doesn’t add too many ambiguous details.

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The form of the poem helps to tell the story consecutively and it shows a shift in vibe from being alone in the airport to being with friends at the airport, ending with a hopeful tone that conveys the theme of the poem.

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The format of the poem helps build the narrative of the story and allows the reader to better connect with the characters in the poem and follow the format.

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The poem is formatted similarly to a short story. This makes the poem easier to digest for a reader. The short story format also brings the reader into the narrators mindset.

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It is simply but clearly written with shifts within the story allowing many people to understand it’s message while still maintaining a poetic narrative

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It has a stressful and tense start to the poem but as time progressed both the poem softened the tone as well as the characters involved, and it became a joyous moment in the end.

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The line was used to emphasis the urgency of the situation. The narrator was willing to give a helping hand as she was able to speak Arabic and potentially de escalate whatever the situation was.

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This form of this poem serves the function of allowing the reader to feel comfortable and close in a very human way. With simple language and common punctuation the reader is comforted by the story as the poem demonstrates very well what it strives to.

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The form of the poem is told from the perspective of the narrator. Because the diction is so calm and inviting, an impression of safety and stability is given even in the midst of a chaotic scenario.

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This line, along with the lines before it, show that the narrator, although originally apprehensive, decided that she would go there. There is no implication that she had decided already that she would help, but rather that she decided to see if she could help.

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Figuratively thinking, “I went there” sorts leaves behind a sense of dread, in a way. It almost seems to foreshadow something that will go wrong, even though nothing did after the delay.

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They tell us that they had arrived there not to help on purpose like some sort of hero, but because they had to.

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“I went there” signifies that narrator can help since she is Palestinian

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I think that this line intends that she’s going to the gate not only physically, but also mentally. She connects with the women and children around her.

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The poem encapsulates maybe a similar idea to female identifying person being more approachable then a man, or more at ease when something has gone wrong. This is a bit of stereotypical thinking, but the author never once mentioned wanting to hug anyone else but the other women in the terminal.

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It shows that the narrator is not only going over to their gate, but making their way over to help someone else who shares their culture.

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Figuratively the line tells us a lot about the narrators morals and background showing her in a selfless way.

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I think that ” she went there “ represents the positive character the narrator has and her response to a chaotic situation she knows she can help

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I think it shows that the narrator is so one who’s looking to help people even if it’s a difficult situation

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It expresses how the narrator did not question heading to the gate and her willingness to help another person due to the shared connection of speaking the same language.

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It shows how Nye chose to step up to solve the issue and was brave to choose to help.

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On a figurative level, this line means leaving the safety of isolation. It means to step out and choose to help another.

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I think it means she was trying to find a positive outcome for a negative situation. She was stuck in the airport and instead of sitting around she went to help someone in need.

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The poem places an emphasis on the community that was built through the connection that the women waiting at the gate had with each other.

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This line figuratively shows us that the main character is not like a knight in shining armor. By establishing that this was were she had to go, it turns her simply showing up into not some chivalrous act but an act of curiosity and also just obligation.

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This line helps us have an insight to the type of person the narrator was. She seems to be helpful and kind but also did she only go because it was her gate.

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In a figurative sense, it means that she had gone to help because she knew she had the capabilities to.

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The line “I went there.” Says that she decided to help with the problem, rather than continuing to wander. She blatantly walking over to the gate, not knowing what she would need to do.

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Figuratively, the speaker is saying that they went to help an unknown person. While they physically went to the gate, they also figuratively went to help the stranger.

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This line shows her willingness to help other people which builds our understanding of her character.

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The narrator means that she made the mental decision to go to Gate A4, rather than deciding to carry on with her day. Additionally it could be referring to Gate A4 as its own “world” in the sense that it’s where the story took place, and that the narrator chose to step into that world.

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The narrator was unsure if she wanted to resolve the conflict but decided to. This was the catalyst that led to their little community

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The narrator was unsure if she wanted to resolve the conflict but decided to. This was the catalyst that led to their little community

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Gender in the poem plays a large role, especially in the way which only women are specified to actually be there in the airport “shared world.” “Not a single woman declined one,” or “…two little girls from our flight ran around…” indicate that the narrator feels more of a connection with these people because they all share that thread in common. Men are only mentioned in the phone calls, when they call the woman’s sons, or when the author called her father.

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Literally, it means that our narrator went to gate A-4, however I believe that figuratively this line could mean she went to the gate to help in whatever way she could since she could also speak Arabic

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It shows the personality of the character being able to go help the poor woman at gate a4

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I think it figuratively means that she is Palestinian and speaks Arabic so she went there is also in a way saying she’s connecting there with that woman who needs help.

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The people who are given and accept the cookies are women. Nye writes “To my amazement, not a single women declined”. And it is “little girls” who deliver apple juice to the others. There is a strong theme of community between different cultures, but an underlying theme of community and trust between women. I think this is important because women are conditioned to be weary- to no walk alone at night, to watch their drinks to be cautious in their clothing choice. And yet, here they are, taking cookies from a stranger. They trust that they are safe here and beyond that, they are connected.

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“I went there” is signifying that she left from where she was at in the airport to make her way over to the gate that she was going to and the gate that needed help.

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This is a response to a potentially troubling situation, displaying the moral character of the narrator.

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This is a response to a potentially troubling situation, displaying the moral character of the narrator.

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The role that gender plays in the poem is at the end when she is talking about the people accepting the cookies she’s never says a man takes one. I think to help create a more wholesome caring environment she only mentions women as it often women who have a caring homey aura. When thinking of home one often thinks of their mother and her warm embrace.

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The poem shows how all the women have a sort of connection to eachother. The poem only talks about how the Palestinian woman shared cookies with the women, and they each took one, which shows interconnectedness

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The role gender plays in this poem is that it shows the audience the connection women have with another.

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Gender plays a role in the poem as the older Palestinian woman passed out her mamool cookies to all the women in the gate. This creates comfort between all of them.

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The connection of all the people interacting with stated with the fact they’re women. That’s what the poem tells us is the connection between all the different people 

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The connection of all the people interacting with stated with the fact they’re women. That’s what the poem tells us is the connection between all the different people 

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They are all women with different pasts but regardless they connect with ease.

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They are all women with different pasts but regardless they connect with ease.

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gender brings connection in this poem showing the combined community all coming together bringing forward a happy society

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The story uses gender to discuss connection and uses a group of women at the airport and their connection through cookies

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Gender plays the role of having a female narrator who watches the other women around her. She watches how they form a community within themselves in the short time they have together.

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I believe gender has a role to play because a lot of times women are put against each other in day to day life but this poem shows that women still have community and are able to come together regardless of ethnicity, which I think if very heartwarming and holds true to real life situations.

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the only other people explicitly mentioned in the poem are women. This could have led them to easily connect.

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Women of different backgrounds come together to support each other and form unity. Their womanhood is the largest aspect of their lives that is shared since they have such drastically different backgrounds 

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Women of different backgrounds come together to support each other and form unity. Their womanhood is the largest aspect of their lives that is shared since they have such drastically different backgrounds 

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“Wandering around the Albuquerque Airport Terminal, after learning my flight had been delayed four hours, I heard an announcement.”

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I believe that gender in this poem plays the role of an almost subconscious comfort. As the group of women attending this flight grows larger, even the little girls, each character is a woman. Thus I believe this shared trait brings together the group and makes it more comforting for the reader due to this common trait you see,

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All the characters mentioned are all female, starting from the narrator and going to the girls who gave apple juice to everyone. It builds a sense of a small community where some thing they have in common is their gender.

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They are all women from different backgrounds but they all connect

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They are all women from different backgrounds but they all connect

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It does not mention any men besides the brothers and father, when the author is talking about who is enjoying the time together they are women.

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Gender is portrayed when the women from different areas are listed. It shows that women from all different parts of the world with different backgrounds can still share a sense of community.

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Gender seems to group all of the people at the gate together. They all have something to relate about and connect over.

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The poem does not speak of any males at the gate, rather it talks about the inviting women from all over the country.

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“Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”

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The poem describes a group of women bonding at the gate, which may be one of the reasons why they were able to connect to easily.

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It represents a form of connectedness, which is related to the theme of the poem. Although there are women from many different backgrounds mentioned, they all share a commonality.

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It represents a form of connectedness, which is related to the theme of the poem. Although there are women from many different backgrounds mentioned, they all share a commonality.

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Gender adds to the concept of bringing people together because it creates a similarity between the characters that can be built on.

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“ Well- one pauses these days.”

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“The traveler from Argentina, the mom from California, the lovely woman from Laredo—we were all covered with the same powdered sugar.” This shows how all the women were united despite their differences, empowering each other.

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“Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”

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The most troublesome line in my opinion was “An older woman in full traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing.”

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“‘Help,’ said the flight agent. ‘Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this,’” (Nye 2).

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“An older women in full traditional Palestinian embroider dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing.”

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“Talk to her. What is her problem?”

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“An older woman in full traditional Palestinian embroidered dress, just like my grandma wore, was crumpled to the floor, wailing.”

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“Talk to her. What is her problem?”

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The flight attendant’s tone is dismissive and annoyed.

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“And then the airline broke out free apple juice from huge coolers and two little girls from our flight ran around serving it and they were covered were covered with powdered sugar, too.”

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“Then we called my dad…of course they had ten shared friends.”

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Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.

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‘“Talk to her. What’s her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”’

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“Talk to her. What is her problem? We told her the flight was going to be late and she did this.”