The Emigree by Rumens Flashcards
opening
‘there once was a country’
-This use of temporal deixis from the outset creates a childlike tone to the poem.
sunlight
‘sunlight-clear
-The theme of sunlight is referred to repeatedly
-memory is clear and happy
war’
‘it may be at war,it may be sick with tyrants’
-city has been overrun by those who believe they know what is best for their country who rule with terror and oppress the people
heavely
‘white streets of that city,the graceful slopes glow’
-heavenly images which are associated with the writers memories which emphasis the positivity and purity of it all
child
‘that childs vocabuary’
-The theme of language is used here to show how the narrator has not moved on from her childhood.
taste
‘It tastes of sunlight
-This use of gustatory imagery shows the narrator’s delight in the memory and how she gains pleasure and happiness from it
passport
‘I have no passport’
-This alludes to the pain and conflict inflicted by man-made borders.
-coveys a sense of hopelessness
repetition
repetition of ‘They accuse’
-This use of emphatic repetition shows the persecution the narrator endures in their new home by creating a violent tone
-‘they’ creates a nameless and faceless threat which sounds sinister and makes the city seem hostile
-‘they’ highlights how she feels segregated
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
defending
‘my city hides behind me’
-speaker feels protective of her city and feels that she has to defend her attachments to the place she is describing
-personification makes it feel more personal to the speaker and you can feel the passion they have
