The Emigree - Carol Rumens Flashcards
Who was Carol Rumens?
Carol Rumens is a British born poet. She has published a number of collections of poetry and her poems focus on the themes of persecution, personal stories, love, separation, death and displacement.
What is some historical conflicts which influenced the poem?
Although Rumen’s poem does not refer to any particular country or war, it is clear that she is talking about the plight of many around the world who are forced to leave the country of their birth and settle in an unfamiliar and/or unfriendly new country.
What is the form and structure of the poem?
The poem has three stanzas and is written in free verse. This lack of formal structure or rhythm helps show the rather scattered thoughts of the speaker as they look back on their life - which is reinforced by the 1st person narrative
What is the tone of the poem?
The poem is written in the 1stperson and the tone is nostalgic. The speaker idealises her homeland even though she had to leave.
What are some examples of personification in the poem?
The city is personified a number of times in the poem. The speaker, in the last stanza, talks about how the city ‘takes me dancing’ and that it ‘hides behind me’ showing that she sees it as something which is always with her, like a friend.
What are some key quotes in the poem?
akes me dancing’ and that it ‘hides behind me
‘bright, filled paperweight’
They accuse me of absence, they circle me
sunlight.
What are some annotations of my city takes me dancing’ and that it ‘hides behind me
The city is personified a number of times in the poem. The speaker, in the last stanza, talks about how the city ‘takes me dancing’ and that it ‘hides behind me’ showing that she sees it as something which is always with her, like a friend
What are some annotations of ‘bright, filled paperweight’
The speaker refers to the city of being like a ‘bright, filled paperweight’ which shows how her memories of it are fixed and idealised and can never be broken.
What are some annotations of They accuse me of absence, they circle me and ‘sunlight’
he feels like a stranger as she refers to her persecutors as ‘they’ and describes how they ‘circle her’ and ‘mutter death’ simply because she is ‘too dark’. This dark imagery is in direct contrast with the light and sunny images of the previous stanzas. However, we are left with the image of sunlight as, in order for shadows to even appear, there must be sunlight.
The speaker repeats the word ‘sunlight’ at the end of each stanza. This word, which she uses to describe her old city, highlights how she has an idealised view of her old place of residence as she sees it as bright and warm
What are the key themes in the poem?
Identity
Prejudice
