the emigree Flashcards
what is it about
The poem is about somebody who had to leave their country as a child to be safe. They are looking back fondly whilst lamenting the discrimination they experience in their new country.
context on author
Rumens was born in London but also lived in Belfast and Wales as well as travelling widely throughout Russia and eastern Europe. This aspect of her life is reflected in her writing which is largely about foreign customs, cultures and language
significance of the time that it was written
The poem is contained in the 1993 collection “Thinking of Skins” which is centred on political consciousness in Russia and East Europe. Within the collection there is also a focus on the relationship between identity and culture.
structure
The repetition of “they” creates and aggressive and accusatory tone to make the city seem threatening and hostile. This reflects the aggression aimed at her from the citizens of her new city due to their racism which is seen in they “accuse me of being dark”. This shows that she is experiencing a new threat which is no longer physical conflict but social rejection. She feels that she does not belong in her new city as she does not share their culture or identity
The poem is predominantly in free verse with no rhyme or rhythm. This could be seen to represent the chaos and lack of control over a country with no stable government. This interpretation juxtaposes with the positive imagery in the poem so the form could more likely be presenting freedom.
main idea 1
society negleting
societal expectations
‘they accuse me of being dark in their free city’
skintone?
they =The repetition of “they” creates and aggressive and accusatory tone to make the city seem threatening and hostile. This reflects the aggression aimed at her from the citizens of her new city due to their racism which is seen in they “accuse me of being dark”. This shows that she is experiencing a new threat which is no longer physical conflict but social rejection. She feels that she does not belong in her new city as she does not share their culture or identity
aggressive undertones
This use of emphatic repetition shows the persecution the narrator endures in their new home by creating a violent tone
accuse- neglected by society, isolated, barrier
main idea 2
‘i am branded by an impression of sunlight’
sense of longing with childhood, culture, past , memory, holding on to the past
CONTINUITY
branded= physical manifestation, it remains with her, public image
semantic field of light shows positive memories,
theyre sustained within her
she will carry memories wherever she does
main idea 3
- problems with identity
internal conflict
‘that child’s vocabulary i carried here’
that child= creates a sense of ambiguity
she is no longer the same person, she feels out of touch
whilst she continuosly attempts to long on to her childhood
= she has not moved on from her childhood however
carried here= change in location, change in identity, she no longer is physically embodied within the body of the child she used to be so she holds onto the cultural factors that she does not want to detach herself from,
‘vocabulary’ = the power of language, communication, expression
