The emigree Flashcards
what is the context for The emigree ?
- The poem is about a female émigrée (someone forced to leave their homeland) remembering her country from a childlike and idealised perspective.
- The country is deliberately unnamed, allowing the poem to reflect the experiences of émigrés from many different places (e.g., war-torn countries, dictatorships, etc.), making it universal.
- Inspired by modern conflicts and political oppression (e.g., countries like Russia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe where freedom is restricted and people flee for safety).
- Reflects the idea that memory can be idealised—especially childhood memories—while the reality of the country might now be dangerous or corrupted.
- Published in the 1990s, during a time of increasing awareness of global refugee crises and political unrest across the world.
“There once was a country … “ - The emigree - Theme of Nostalgia and Displacement
- The phrase “There once was a country” immediately signals nostalgia and an almost fairy-tale quality to the speaker’s memories, as it begins with a past that is presented in a fantastical way. This creates the sense that the speaker’s homeland is more of a romanticised memory than a tangible, current reality.
- The use of “once” distances the speaker from the country, suggesting that the speaker’s connection to it is now lost and based on an idealized view, perhaps skewed by time and the innocence of childhood.
- The past tense here signals a disconnection from the present, and the speaker’s homeland exists only in their recollections — it is no longer accessible to them, and the country seems like a place of long-gone perfection, enhanced by the lens of childhood memory.
- The phrase evokes the idea of nostalgic loss, a place where the speaker once felt safe and at home, but is now permanently inaccessible, only existing in their mind.
‘I left it as a child’ - The emigree - memory
- This line highlights the innocence and vulnerability of the speaker when they were forced to leave their homeland. The fact that the speaker was a child at the time adds emotional weight to the loss, emphasizing that they did not have the agency or ability to understand the political or emotional consequences of their departure.
- “left it as a child” signals the tragic transition from childhood to adulthood, where innocence is shattered by the harshness of forced migration and displacement.
- sets the tone for the speaker’s longing for the past, where they left behind a homeland they cannot return to. It reveals the speaker’s fractured identity, as they are now caught between two worlds — their childhood memories and their adult experiences in a foreign land.
- also establishes the speaker’s sense of loss, and the idea that their memories are formed during a time when they were most impressionable and unable to grasp the gravity of leaving.
‘But I am branded by an impression of sunlight’ - The emigree - nostalgia and the lasting impact of memory on identity.
- The word “branded” suggests a deep, indelible mark — something permanent and lasting. This suggests that the speaker’s memory of their homeland is something that has shaped their identity and cannot be erased, no matter how much they might try to move on.
- “Impression of sunlight” gives the memory a glowing, warm, almost heavenly quality, symbolizing how the speaker views their homeland with nostalgia and affection. The sunlight imagery evokes the idea of a perfect, utopian place, untouched by the complications of reality.
- contrasts with the darker and more painful aspects of exile, as the speaker’s emotional connection to their homeland remains unaffected by the negative experiences they face now. The sunlight represents the hope and beauty that continues to shape their identity.
- The use of sunlight also reflects clarity — the speaker sees the past with a clear and untarnished view, even though this clarity may be misleading in light of the current situation.
How does Rumens, The emigree, convey the speaker’s feeling of being trapped in her new environment?
- The use of enjambment with the phrase “Through the city // Of walls” isolates the concept of walls, emphasizing the physical and metaphorical barriers in the speaker’s life.
- The imagery of walls symbolizes not only the physical separation between the speaker and the people of the new city, but also the psychological barriers that make her feel trapped.
- The mention of “walls” suggests that the city is not a welcoming place but a place of confinement, both physically and emotionally.
- The speaker’s alienation in the new city is underscored by the chaotic structure of the final stanza, which represents the disorder in the speaker’s sense of self.
- The walls could also symbolize the cultural and racial divisions the speaker faces, representing the barriers between her heritage and the society she now inhabits.
- Rumens uses these physical and metaphorical walls to reflect the trapped feeling of a person who is forced to adapt to a new life but is unable to fully integrate.
How does Rumens use repetition in The Émigrée to express the speaker’s alienation?
- The repetition of “they” creates an accusatory tone, emphasizing how the speaker feels attacked by those around her.
- The repetition of “their city” and “they accuse me of absence” shows the speaker’s disconnection from the new city and highlights her marginalisation due to cultural and racial differences.
- These repeated phrases suggest social rejection and racism, as the speaker feels like an outsider in a place that does not accept her.
- The repetition reinforces the emotional distance between the speaker and the people around her, showing that she is physically in the city but emotionally and socially excluded.
- The use of “absence” implies a loss of identity and a feeling of being invisible in a place where the speaker doesn’t belong.
- The overall effect of the repetition is to emphasize the speaker’s struggle with belonging and her alienation in the new environment.
what is the form for the emigree and how is it used for effect ?
Free verse with no rhyme or rhythm:
- Represents chaos and instability in the homeland, possibly due to war or tyranny.
- Reflects a lack of control, symbolizing a country in turmoil.
- Absence of rhyme and rhythm could also symbolize freedom, in contrast to the chaos, offering a sense of liberation.
Limited order in stanza length:
- Consistent stanza lengths create a sense of order amid chaos.
- Represents the speaker’s attempt to regain control and stability after emigration.
- Mirrors her search for structure and normality in the face of displacement and a fractured sense of identity.
How does Rumens use extended metaphor to depict the speaker’s relationship with her homeland?
“I comb its hair and love its shining eyes”
- The metaphorical use of maternal imagery compares the speaker’s connection to her homeland to that of a mother nurturing a child.
- This highlights the speaker’s deep emotional attachment to her homeland, showing how she cherishes and cares for her memories of it.
- The phrase “love its shining eyes” conveys the idea that the speaker still sees her homeland as pure, beautiful, and full of life, reinforcing her idealized view of it.
- The act of “combing its hair” symbolizes tenderness and care, showing that the speaker is actively maintaining and preserving her attachment to the past.
Theme: Nostalgia and Protection - The speaker feels a strong sense of nostalgia for her homeland and views it with a protective, almost maternal love, despite any negative changes it may have undergone.
- This metaphor emphasizes how the speaker’s memory of her homeland remains untarnished by time, and how she continues to protect its idealized image.
‘My city hides behind me’ - The emigree - identity and protection
- The metaphor presents the city as something the speaker feels protective of, as if it is hiding behind her for safety.
- This suggests that the speaker has an emotional and personal connection to the city, seeing it as a part of her own identity.
- The image of the city “hiding” behind her implies she is actively shielding it from judgment or criticism, further emphasizing her role as its protector.
- It also conveys a sense of responsibility, showing how the speaker feels a deep loyalty to her homeland despite its potential flaws.
- The phrase indicates that the speaker’s attachment to her homeland is so strong that she feels compelled to defend its honor and prevent it from being tainted by others’ perceptions.
Theme: Identity and Protection - The speaker’s emotional attachment to her city shapes her identity, leading her to protect and shield it from the negative views of outsiders, emphasizing the role of memory in shaping personal identity.
