Mish Notes
Poem of Return
Title: Returning to his country
Sense of Homecoming. It tells us that the speaker will go somewhere.
Line1: Tone of certainty “When I return”
It’s the place where he is hosted, where he is exiled to.
“silence” highlights no communication. There is no contact with family or friends.
Feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Line 2: “Do not” – Commanding tone
“flowers” – To celebrate something but the poet does not want it, he does not want to be
celebrated/ Feeling a sense of guilt for fleeing the country.
He is not a hero; he did not stay behind and fight. He fled so he should not be celebrated.
Line 3-4: “bring me” – Anaphora (Repetition)
“all the dews” – Hyperbole (impossible demand)
“Dawns which witnessed dramas” – Personification, Human quality of being distressed
after witnessing the brutality of war. Dawn is crying after witnessing the tragedy.
D- alliteration – Nature was also affected after witnessing the liberation struggle.
Line 5-6: “bring me” - repetition
Image of romance, peace and beauty
Speaker emphasizes the sense of separation.
People who were in love were deprived of physical connection. They became separated
because of war.
Rather than flowers, he wants human connection that he has missed from his family,
friends and his longing from his home country.
Line 7-8: He wants the long sleeplessness nights with mothers. The mothers were mourning
because their sons were taken away, due to exile or were killed.
He wants their concern and grief that the mother felt. Mothers have been deprived and
robbed of their son.
He wants to understand and connect with people who have suffered.
Line 9-10: Repeated to emphasize the fact that he does not want flowers. He must not be
celebrated.
He does not want flowers because he doesn’t see himself as hero.
“No, do not” – Forceful tone of the double negative.
He feels guilty because he was not their to fight. He did not feel the same pain as others.
Line 11: he only wants one thing. Shows his insistence of only wanting one thing.
Line 12: “last wish” – Justice, freedom, a changed country.
He wants justice for those heroes because they died before they could experience a free
country.
“daybreak” – Killed in the morning
Line 13-14: “Wingless stone” – a paradox
The man and woman died angry. They were unable to fight against their oppressors.
Anger towards oppressors is seen in their eyes.
1
Poem of Return
Title: Returning to his country
Sense of Homecoming. It tells us that the speaker will go somewhere.
Line1: Tone of certainty “When I return”
It’s the place where he is hosted, where he is exiled to.
“silence” highlights no communication. There is no contact with family or friends.
Feeling of loneliness and isolation.
Line 2: “Do not” – Commanding tone
“flowers” – To celebrate something but the poet does not want it, he does not want to be
celebrated/ Feeling a sense of guilt for fleeing the country.
He is not a hero; he did not stay behind and fight. He fled so he should not be celebrated.
Line 3-4: “bring me” – Anaphora (Repetition)
“all the dews” – Hyperbole (impossible demand)
“Dawns which witnessed dramas” – Personification, Human quality of being distressed
after witnessing the brutality of war. Dawn is crying after witnessing the tragedy.
D- alliteration – Nature was also affected after witnessing the liberation struggle.
Line 5-6: “bring me” - repetition
Image of romance, peace and beauty
Speaker emphasizes the sense of separation.
People who were in love were deprived of physical connection. They became separated
because of war.
Rather than flowers, he wants human connection that he has missed from his family,
friends and his longing from his home country.
Line 7-8: He wants the long sleeplessness nights with mothers. The mothers were mourning
because their sons were taken away, due to exile or were killed.
He wants their concern and grief that the mother felt. Mothers have been deprived and
robbed of their son.
He wants to understand and connect with people who have suffered.
Line 9-10: Repeated to emphasize the fact that he does not want flowers. He must not be
celebrated.
He does not want flowers because he doesn’t see himself as hero.
“No, do not” – Forceful tone of the double negative.
He feels guilty because he was not their to fight. He did not feel the same pain as others.
Line 11: he only wants one thing. Shows his insistence of only wanting one thing.
Line 12: “last wish” – Justice, freedom, a changed country.
He wants justice for those heroes because they died before they could experience a free
country.
“daybreak” – Killed in the morning
Line 13-14: “Wingless stone” – a paradox
The man and woman died angry. They were unable to fight against their oppressors.
Anger towards oppressors is seen in their eyes.
1
