Refugee Blues
W.H. Auden
Say this city has ten million souls, Hyperbole, inner-being, valuable and holy,
Some are living in mansions, some are removes discrimination
living in holes: Contrast- holes, poor people living in slums
Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet Refugees have nowhere to go, isolated,
there's no place for us. unwanted, can’t return to their country, helpless,
addressing a loved one, closeness and comfort
Once we had a country and we thought it Had somewhere to live, it was good, treated
fair, equally, no discrimination
Look in the atlas and you'll find it there: Home has been left behind and the only
We cannot go there now, my dear, we way to see it is in an atlas
cannot go there now. Repetition, emphasises how isolated and
helpless they are
In the village churchyard there grows an old Rural England- yew tree flowers and grows in
yew, the cycle with seasons, nature imagery- sense
Every spring it blossoms anew: of continued renewal, hope and healing,
Old passports can't do that, my dear, old contrasts with world where there is no hope
passports can't do that. Old passports can't bring hope and new life,
they are useless
The consul banged the table and said, Official representing country
"If you've got no passport you're officially Have no hope as passports are no longer valid,
dead": can't get citizenship, have no home,
But we are still alive, my dear, but we are dehumanization-alive yet are told that they are
still alive. dead, confusion, sense of hope, still a chance
because they are alive
Went to a committee; they offered me a Group set up to help refugees, can’t help
chair; because of politics, told to wait, state is
Asked me politely to return next year: uncaring, rude, can’t return next year
But where shall we go today, my dear, but Need help now, but still hopeful of finding
where shall we go today? help elsewhere, rhetorical question and
repetition suggests desperation
W.H. Auden
Say this city has ten million souls, Hyperbole, inner-being, valuable and holy,
Some are living in mansions, some are removes discrimination
living in holes: Contrast- holes, poor people living in slums
Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet Refugees have nowhere to go, isolated,
there's no place for us. unwanted, can’t return to their country, helpless,
addressing a loved one, closeness and comfort
Once we had a country and we thought it Had somewhere to live, it was good, treated
fair, equally, no discrimination
Look in the atlas and you'll find it there: Home has been left behind and the only
We cannot go there now, my dear, we way to see it is in an atlas
cannot go there now. Repetition, emphasises how isolated and
helpless they are
In the village churchyard there grows an old Rural England- yew tree flowers and grows in
yew, the cycle with seasons, nature imagery- sense
Every spring it blossoms anew: of continued renewal, hope and healing,
Old passports can't do that, my dear, old contrasts with world where there is no hope
passports can't do that. Old passports can't bring hope and new life,
they are useless
The consul banged the table and said, Official representing country
"If you've got no passport you're officially Have no hope as passports are no longer valid,
dead": can't get citizenship, have no home,
But we are still alive, my dear, but we are dehumanization-alive yet are told that they are
still alive. dead, confusion, sense of hope, still a chance
because they are alive
Went to a committee; they offered me a Group set up to help refugees, can’t help
chair; because of politics, told to wait, state is
Asked me politely to return next year: uncaring, rude, can’t return next year
But where shall we go today, my dear, but Need help now, but still hopeful of finding
where shall we go today? help elsewhere, rhetorical question and
repetition suggests desperation
