The Emigree - Carol Rumens Flashcards
my memory is sunlight clear’
metaphor - suggests that her views about her city cannot be tampered with, they are solid and clear.
it may be sick with tyrants/ but i am branded by an impression of sunlight’
conjunction but, shows that the speaker knows her city is not a place of peace but cannot change her original view. connotations of sunlight are brightness and warmth, this suggests that her view will always remain positive, like how the sun is eternal. three is a repetition of sunlight throughout the poem.
‘white streets’
adjective white has connotations of purity and innocence , which is a direct contrast to the reality of the city as Rumens reveals it is ‘at war’ + ‘sick with tyrants’. this shows how the speaker is almost brainwashed with a positive view of a crumbling city.
’ i cant get it off my tongue’
conjunction can’t shows that it is impossible for her to let go of her language, almost suggesting that it is amp-art of her body, she simply cannot remove it.
‘it lies down in front of me’
personification, implies that the city is weak and vulnerable, unable to stand, possibly even dead. the quote ‘my city hides behind me’ also shows the city weakness.
‘my city’
personal pronoun ‘my’ - the repetition of ‘my city’ in the last stanza show how despite all the negative remarks and the truth that she knows about the city, she still feels a strong sense of connection towards it, like it will always be a part of her.
stanza 1 and 2 are octates and stanza 3 has an extra line
this suggests that the speaker is trying to pretend that her city is perfect when in reality, by the end of the poem she realises she cannot pretend anymore, she cannot hide the harsh reality any longer, this is shown by the extra line, it is her admitting
‘comb its hair’
personification - speaker feels maternal towards the city, like she has to take care of it, when really the city should take care of her.
context:
carol has published a number of Russian poem translations, showing her interest in different places around the world.
context:
the author wanted to give a voice to those that feel they cant share their experience with being a refugee/ immigrant
