Through a close analysis of the poems "Vacating an Apartment," "A Call," and "Houses" I will try to take apart the reality of home and the concept of belonging as depicted in them. From the dark irony of "Vacating an Apartment" to the somber dream of "Houses," I will illuminate the multi-faceted meaning of home, from the home you leave behind to the home you cannot forget. My goal is to bring out the construction of an international identity through the dual relationship between belonging and alienation and its consequences. Demonstrating how the recurring themes of loss, home, identity, and the act of leaving are tied together and come into play in the construction of this poetic international identity. Finally, I will underscore the cultural importance of The Half-Inch Himalayas and what we should keep in mind when dealing with international identity.

Keywords:  The Half-Inch Himalayas, Agha Shahid Ali, "A Call", "Vacating an Apartment", "Houses", home, loss, identity