The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Dharker, Imtiaz. "The right word." The terrorist at my table (Bloodaxe Books, 2006).

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

Drawing on her experience as a filmmaker, Dharker successively edits the context in "The right word" to cast a different light on the characters and situation in the poem. The unknown boy standing outside the speaker's door is referred to as a terrorist, a freedom fighter, a hostile militant, a guerrilla warrior, a martyr, and a child. The act of naming that occurs in this poem has political implications because it demonstrates how prejudice and fear can give rise to conflict.

Once the speaker sets aside these names and the heavy associations that they carry, she invites the boy inside for dinner. In this way, Dharker contends with the fear clouding people's relations to othered strangers. The poet offers an alternative: to cast aside one's prejudices and invite in connection.