This document covers the poem: 'Look We Have Coming to Dover' from the Poems of the Decade Poetry. I studied this poem for my A Level, Edexcel English Literature Exam as part of the poetry module. By constructing these summarises and notes these provided me with ideas and themes which I could for m...
• Not spelt grammatically correct. Highlighting the poor English of the migrants
• Perhaps highlighting the media viewpoints of the migrants in ‘look’
• Lack of care of society fir the migrants
• Struggles they face
• Imposing look of ‘Dover’. Intimidated
• Light hearted and humour tone perhaps to condemn the observer's viewpoint towards
immigration
Structure:
• Changes in line length become clearer with each stanza progressing from short lines to long
lines, before restarting the cycle for the next stanza. Readers see this as showing waves and
tides with gradual but clear flow and change, or alternatively the movement of people across
the world throughout history and different cycles of immigration and emigration. Readers also
the interpret the less even structure as reminding them of their own experience with foreign
languages, in which those who are less practiced may struggle to have an even and regular flow
of conversation.
• Variety within stanzas regarding line length, there is a very even structure across the poem with
five stanzas of five lines. One interpretation of the specific use of five could be as reference to
the ‘five oceans’ of the world, which have all proved vital to traditional movement and travel
over the centuries. Seen as a further representation of cycles, perhaps arguing that changes in
immigration are natural changes which should be expected
• Irregular rhyme scheme becomes less. Potential use of half rhyme suggesting the persona
beginning to fit in with society. Equally, implies their isolation from society and their struggles to
grasp the English language
• Frequent use of commas and hyphens throughout the poem, which represents the idea of
diversity and change within society due to the frequent use of different types of punctuation.
Readers also interpret this as continuing the idea of foreign languages and speech, with these
pauses representing the thinking and consideration for new worlds when a non-native speaker
is using another language. Pieces of punctuation used to join sentences together to
demonstrate how different the culture and people bring society closer together.
• ‘Stowed in sea to invade’ sibilance creates a sorrowful tone to emphasises the traumatic
impacts that’s experienced through the migrants
• Use of dashes such as that between ‘diesel-breeze’ and ‘cushy come-and-go' could express the
personas struggles to grasp the language. Equally creates a sense of irony. The use of
consonance in ‘cushy come-and-go' creates a plosive sound’. Highlights the difficulties the
migrants face in their travels to England
• List of ‘cars, our crash clothes, ‘free’. Causers expresses a sense of desperation to form own
culture and slows pace. Struggle to get out words
, • Exclamatory after ‘flecked by the chalks of Britannia!’ expresses the isolation that is still felt in
society. The idea of the five stanzas could highlight the fragmented speech, with the personas
highlighting a sense of consistency. They are rejected from society due to their immigration
status. Yet the escalatory creates a humour tone suggesting it is the fault of society in the
viewpoint towards immigrants
• Neologisms (mixture of sounds and lexical statements and colloquialisms)
Language:
• Mattherw Arnold ‘so various, so beautiful, so new’ Dover Veach. Epigraph at the beginning of
the poem. Nagra contradicts the view of the beautiful and white Dover beach to a view that’s is
more intimidating to the migrants. Highlights the struggles faced by the migrants rather than
glorifying it. From a migrant's perspective in comparison to an observer
• ‘Stowed in the sea to invade; with the inclusion of ‘invade’ introduces the ongoing theme of
words with negative connotations, but this one particularly notable because of the direct link to
hostile people entering another county. However, this is juxtaposed with the idea of being
‘stowed’ and hidden away unnoticed, with it unlikely for people to be able to invade a country
with no supplies. This could therefore be interpreted as a criticism of those who see immigration
as hugely detrimental or even dangerous.
• Non-English words is an intriguing way in which Nagra can be seen as criticising anti-immigration
idea and the sentiments, demonstrating how English has naturally evolves to incorporate words
from others languages. Examples from ‘alfresco’ (Italian) and ‘camouflage’ (French) within the
first two stanzas and reference to champagne through ‘charged glasses’ in the final stanza.
Would be very effective for readers who notice the inclusion of such words but don’t
immediately see them as ‘foreign’ because it would demonstrate how language has evolved and
how little it has been realised by modern society.
• Word choices throughout the poem are important due to negative connotations. Including
phases such as ‘diesel-breeze’ which alludes to pollution and environmental damage as a result
of travelling, and harsh and unpleasant industry-heavy areas. Personification of the wind and
rain described as ‘yobbish’ and ugly connotations and dehumanisation of ‘swarms of us’ which
liken those entering the country to insects. Reader finds the line more notable today than in
2007, due to David Cameron’s description of migrants crossing the Mediterranean as a ‘swarm’.
Helps make poem more memorable and helps the reader to consider implication and ideas of
poem in today's society.
• Equally the idea of ‘diesel- breeze’ expresses a more industrialised and polluted air that’s
surroundings the immigrants. Expresses the racism from society in societies view that
immigrants would come and take their jobs. Perhaps this has been used by Nagra to highlight
the hardships that were faced by the immigrants. Questions the hatred towards them when we
should target the issue of why they are coming here to start with
• ‘Ratcheting speed’. The juxtaposition creates devastation and trepidation for the personas life
that similarly experienced through the society with the impact of migration. The adjective
‘ratcheting’ perhaps creating a bitter sense of humour in the idea that immigrants are quickly
pouring into the countries to take jobs as viewed by society
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