1.11 - The Emigree
Context
Political and historical context
- The poem was written in the late 20th century, a time of significant global conflict and displacement, including the fall of the Soviet Union and wars in the Balkans.
- This context of widespread conflict led to many people becoming refugees or exiles, forced to leave their homelands due to war and oppressive regimes.
- Rumens deliberately keeps the speaker's city anonymous, which universalises the experience of exile to reflect these many different conflicts.
Poet's background and themes
- Carol Rumens is a British poet who frequently explores themes of foreignness, displacement, identity, and belonging in her work.
- The poem reflects on the profound connection between a person's identity and their sense of place.
- It examines how memory can act as a powerful form of resistance against political tyranny and the hostility faced in a new country.
Overview
The Emigrée in a nutshell
- What literally happens in the poem: A speaker, an émigrée (a person who has left their native country), reflects on the country she left as a child. Despite reports of war and tyranny, her memory of it remains a perfect, sunlit place that she refuses to let go of.
- Context and significance: Rumens explores the experience of exile and the power of memory to shape identity. The poem serves as a protest against oppressive regimes and the prejudice faced by refugees.
- Key techniques and approach: The poem uses a first-person narrative, free verse, and a recurring motif [a repeated image or idea] of "sunlight" to contrast the speaker's idealised internal memory with the harsh external reality.
✓ "Poem text verified against source" ✓ "All quotations checked for accuracy" ✓ "Translation section quotes verified"
Translation and Rumens's intent
Lines 1-8
"There once was a country… I left it as a child
but my memory of it is sunlight-clear
for it seems I never saw it in that November
which, I am told, comes to the mildest city.
The worst news I receive of it cannot break
my original view, the bright, filled paperweight.
It may be at war, it may be sick with tyrants,
but I am branded by an impression of sunlight."
Translation
- The speaker begins by describing a country she left during her childhood, starting like a fairy tale with "There once was a country…".
- Her memory of this place is vivid and positive, described as "sunlight-clear".
- She acknowledges that she is told bad things about her country now, but this news cannot change her positive childhood view, which is solid and beautiful like a "paperweight".
- Even though it might now be a place of war and ruled by dictators ("tyrants"), her identity is permanently marked by the positive "impression of sunlight".
Rumens's intention
- The opening line's fairy-tale quality suggests the memory is idealised and perhaps not entirely real.
- The recurring motif of "sunlight" is established, symbolising the warmth, happiness, and positivity of the speaker's memory.
- The metaphor of memory as a "bright, filled paperweight" suggests it is solid, permanent, and beautiful, keeping her past from scattering away.
- The verb "branded" has connotations [associated meanings] of both ownership and pain, suggesting this positive memory is an inescapable and defining part of her identity.
Lines 9-16
"The white streets of that city, the graceful slopes
glow even clearer as time rolls its tanks
and the frontiers rise between us, close like waves.
That child's vocabulary I carried here
like a hollow doll, opens and spills a grammar.
Soon I shall have every coloured molecule of it.
It may by now be a lie, banned by the state
but I can't get it off my tongue. It tastes of sunlight."
Translation
- The speaker's positive memories of the city's "white streets" and "graceful slopes" become even stronger as the reality of war ("tanks") and political division ("frontiers") grows.
- The language of her home country, which she brought with her as a child, is now becoming richer and more complex.
- She acknowledges that her positive memory might be a "lie" and that her native language may be forbidden ("banned"), but she cannot forget it.
- Her connection to her home is a powerful sensory experience; it "tastes of sunlight".
Rumens's intention
- Rumens creates a clear juxtaposition [contrasting elements placed together] between the idyllic, remembered city and the violent reality of "tanks". This highlights the conflict between memory and reality.
- The personification [giving human qualities to an object] of the city, with its "white streets" that "glow", makes it seem pure and almost heavenly.
- The simile [a comparison using 'like' or 'as'] comparing her vocabulary to a "hollow doll" that "spills a grammar" suggests her identity is growing and developing from a simple childhood foundation.
- The sensory imagery in "It tastes of sunlight" reinforces the idea that her memory is a source of life and nourishment, something real and vital to her.
Lines 17-25
"I have no passport, there's no way back at all
but my city comes to me in its own white plane.
It lies down in front of me, docile as paper;
I comb its hair and love its shining eyes.
My city takes me dancing through the city
of walls. They accuse me of absence, they circle me.
They accuse me of being dark in their free city.
My city hides behind me. They mutter death,
and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight."
Translation
- The speaker has no passport and cannot return to her home country. However, her city comes to her in her mind.
- She treats her personified city with tenderness, as if it were a pet or a child.
- Her memory of her city ("My city") helps her navigate the hostile new city ("the city of walls").
- In her new home, she is viewed with suspicion by anonymous figures ("They") who accuse her of not belonging and of being "dark".
- These figures threaten her, but her city takes refuge with her. Her shadow, cast by the inner "sunlight" of her memory, proves the power and reality of her identity.
Rumens's intention
- The continued personification of the city shows the speaker's deep, loving, and protective relationship with her memory of home.
- The ambiguous pronoun "They" creates a sense of a faceless, menacing authority, representing the prejudice faced by immigrants.
- There is a powerful contrast between the speaker's "dark" appearance to others and the "sunlight" she feels inside, highlighting the conflict between external perception and internal identity.
- The final line presents a paradox [a seemingly contradictory statement]. A "shadow" is usually associated with darkness, but here it is "evidence of sunlight", proving that her positive identity is real and strong enough to exist even in a hostile environment.
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Writer's methods
Analysing form, structure, and language together allows for a deeper understanding of how a poet's methods shape the meaning and themes of their work. In The Emigrée, Rumens combines these elements to explore the complex relationship between memory, identity, and displacement.
Form
The poem is written in free verse, which means it has no regular rhyme scheme or rhythm. This lack of formal constraint helps to shape the poem's meaning.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Displacement and instability | The poem is written in free verse, with lines of uneven length and no set rhythm. | Rumens uses this unstructured form to mirror the speaker's feelings of instability and the chaos of being an exile. The form reflects the unpredictable and fractured nature of the émigrée's life. |
| A personal, conversational tone | The use of a first-person narrative ("I left it as a child") creates a personal and intimate tone. | This form allows the reader to directly access the speaker's thoughts and feelings. It makes her internal conflict between a cherished memory and a harsh reality feel more immediate and relatable. |
Structure
The poem is organised into three stanzas. While the first two have eight lines, the final stanza has nine, breaking the pattern.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Conflict between memory and reality | There is frequent use of enjambment [line runs to next] in the first two stanzas, creating a flowing, free-flowing pace. This contrasts with the increased use of end-stopped lines in the final stanza. | The fluid enjambment reflects the freedom of the speaker's memories. The more frequent pauses in the final stanza create a feeling of confinement, mirroring the hostility she faces in her new city. |
| Resilience of hope | Each of the three stanzas ends with the word "sunlight". | This cyclical structure acts like a refrain [a repeated line or phrase]. It shows that no matter what threats or negative news the speaker faces, she always returns to her positive, hopeful memory of home, emphasising its power and endurance. |
| Overwhelming feeling | The final stanza is one line longer than the previous two. | This structural break could reflect the overwhelming nature of the speaker's emotions as she feels threatened in her new city. Alternatively, it could suggest her positive memory is so powerful it cannot be contained. |
Language
Rumens uses vivid imagery and figurative language to contrast the speaker's inner world with her external reality.
| Theme | Evidence | Poet's intention |
|---|---|---|
| Power of memory | The speaker is "branded by an impression of sunlight." | The verb "branded" suggests a permanent, painful, and indelible mark. Rumens's intention is to show that this memory is not just a pleasant thought but a core, unchangeable part of the speaker's identity. |
| Purity of the past | The personification of the city with its "white streets" that "glow" and its "shining eyes". | Rumens uses this language to create an image of the city as pure, innocent, and almost angelic. This contrasts sharply with the "tanks" and "tyrants" of its present reality, emphasising the idealised nature of memory. |
| Threat and persecution | The speaker is accused by an anonymous "They" who "circle me" and "mutter death". | The vague pronoun "They" creates a sense of a sinister, faceless enemy. This is intended to universalise the experience of prejudice and hostility faced by refugees and immigrants everywhere. |
| Hope and identity | The final line states, "...my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight." | This concluding metaphor is a paradox. A shadow is caused by blocking light, but here it becomes proof ("evidence") of that light's existence. It shows that even in a dark, threatening world, her positive identity is real and defiant. |
What to compare it to
Effective comparison involves exploring how different poets handle similar themes, using their methods to achieve their specific purpose. Rather than just listing similarities and differences, focus on making connections between the poets' intentions and the techniques they use.
Suggested comparisons
- The Emigrée and Checking Out Me History - Both poems explore the assertion of identity in the face of oppressive external forces.
- The Emigrée and Kamikaze - Both poems examine the conflict between personal feelings and the power of a hostile or shunning society.
The Emigrée and Checking Out Me History
Comparison in a nutshell
Both poems explore how identity is preserved or reclaimed in defiance of an oppressive power. However, Rumens focuses on protecting a private, internal memory, while Agard focuses on publicly reclaiming a stolen history.
Similarities
Point
Both poets present identity as a powerful force that offers resistance against external control and oppression.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Checking Out Me History |
|---|---|
| Rumens shows identity as an internal, positive memory that cannot be erased by tyranny or prejudice. The speaker is "branded by an impression of sunlight", suggesting her identity is permanent and a source of light. | Similarly, Agard shows identity as a form of rebellion against a biased education system. The speaker declares, "I carving out me identity", using a powerful verb to show this is an active and determined process. |
| The speaker's connection to her native language ("It tastes of sunlight") is a source of personal strength and nourishment, which she protects from the "banned" status imposed by the state. | In the same way, Agard uses language as a tool of resistance. He uses a non-standard phonetic spelling and Caribbean dialect to reject the dominance of standard English and assert his cultural identity. |
Differences
Point
The poets use contrasting narrative voices and structures to present different forms of resistance: Rumens's is quiet and personal, while Agard's is loud and confrontational.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Checking Out Me History |
|---|---|
| Rumens uses a single, consistent first-person voice and free verse. This creates a reflective, intimate tone, suggesting the speaker's resistance is a private, psychological battle fought within her own memory. | In contrast, Agard uses a dual structure, alternating between the restrictive, Eurocentric history he was taught and the italicised stanzas celebrating black historical figures. This creates a defiant, chant-like rhythm, making his resistance feel like a public performance of reclamation. |
| The speaker's enemy is a vague, anonymous "They". This makes the oppression feel sinister but also universal, focusing on the speaker's internal emotional response rather than a specific historical enemy. | Conversely, Agard's oppressor is clearly identified as "Dem" (them), representing the British colonial education system. This direct accusation makes the poem's tone much more confrontational and politically charged. |
Endings comparison
Point
Both poems conclude with a powerful assertion of identity, but Rumens's ending is one of quiet defiance, whereas Agard's is a statement of active creation.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Checking Out Me History |
|---|---|
| The poem ends on a paradox: "...my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight." This is an image of quiet, resilient proof. Her identity exists and endures despite the darkness, but it is a passive form of evidence. | However, Agard's poem ends with the active, present tense statement, "I carving out me identity". This suggests a continuous, ongoing process of creation and self-definition, ending the poem on a note of dynamic, forward-looking rebellion. |
The Emigrée and Kamikaze
Comparison in a nutshell
Both poems explore how individuals are isolated by powerful social or political forces. Rumens focuses on an individual who remains emotionally strong despite external hostility, while Garland explores an individual who is emotionally exiled by his own community.
Similarities
Point
Both poems explore the conflict between an individual's personal feelings and the hostile judgement of a wider society.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Kamikaze |
|---|---|
| The speaker in The Emigrée is isolated by her new community. She is met with suspicion and threats from an anonymous "They" who "accuse" her and "mutter death", creating a conflict between her positive inner self and a hostile outer world. | Similarly, the pilot in Kamikaze is isolated by his own community for choosing to return. His family and neighbours "treated him as though he no longer existed", creating a conflict between his personal instinct for life and the powerful ideology of his society. |
| The speaker clings to a powerful, positive memory of her home, which is linked to nature ("sunlight", "graceful slopes"). This memory gives her strength and validates her identity against external pressures. | Likewise, the pilot is turned back from his mission by the power of memory and nature. He looks down at the "little fishing boats" and "dark shoals of fishes", which triggers memories of childhood and family, reminding him of a life he values. |
Differences
Point
The poets use different narrative perspectives to create contrasting emotional effects: Rumens creates intimacy and defiance, while Garland creates distance and tragedy.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Kamikaze |
|---|---|
| Rumens uses a first-person narrator ("I am branded"), which makes the speaker's emotional conflict immediate and personal. This allows the reader to experience her resilience and defiant hope directly. | In contrast, Garland uses a third-person narrator (the pilot's daughter), who recounts the story. This creates emotional distance and frames the pilot's experience as a piece of history, emphasising his profound isolation as he is unable to tell his own story. |
| The speaker in The Emigrée is physically exiled but remains psychologically and emotionally strong. Her memory of home acts as a protective shield ("My city hides behind me"). | Conversely, the pilot is physically present with his family but is emotionally and socially exiled. He experiences a "living death", where he is silenced and ignored, leading to a much more tragic and lonely outcome. |
Endings comparison
Point
Both poems end on a note of reflection about life and death, but The Emigrée concludes with an image of defiant survival, while Kamikaze ends with a question of profound regret.
Evidence and explanation
| The Emigrée | Kamikaze |
|---|---|
| The poem's final image of a "shadow" being "evidence of sunlight" resolves the conflict in favour of hope. It is a powerful assertion that the speaker's identity survives and defies the surrounding darkness ("death"). | The final lines of Kamikaze, however, offer no such resolution. The daughter speculates that her father "must have wondered which had been the better way to die", leaving the reader with a sense of tragic ambiguity and the idea that his social death may have been worse than a physical one. |