The IEB poem, Refugee Blues, written by WH Auden, is analysed in-depth and in great detail in this document. The figures of speech, themes, structures, line by line analysis, stanzas and rhyme schemes are provided and elaborated, offering a greater understanding of the poem. The document is in Engl...
Refugee Blues
A refugee: is a person who has been forced A ballad is a musical element, it is
to leave their home, where they are from prominently known for its repetition. A
most probably. Refers to the Jewish People. ballad falls under the jazz genre,
which has the connotations of
depression and melonic = A sad
song.
Say this city has ten million souls,
Stanza 1
Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes: Contrasts the lower and the upper class
This emphasizes that there is nothing for We don’t belong
them, not even a hole is good enough or Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet there's no place for us.
available for them. “my dear” – tells us that this is a couple or
partnership
Circumstances has changed from the Once we had a country and we thought it fair, “fair” – in this context means just or beautiful
Stanza 2
time they remember as “once”
You’ll see the country; this country could possibly be
Look in the atlas and you'll find it there: Germany. But they don’t allow them there.
We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now.
Stanza 3
Religion: usually teaches us to tolerate In the village churchyard there grows an old yew, “yew” – refers to a tree
Every spring it blossoms anew: It has to be renewed every year
Them becoming older: doesn’t
Old passports can't do that, my dear, old passports can't do that. help their current situation, they
are not allowed certain courts
and rules by certain countries
Stanza 4
The consul is the representative of the The consul banged the table and said,
country
They are harsh, they have or lack empathy Not valid so they can’t move really, to
and care "If you've got no passport you're officially dead": nowhere. It’s a hard life, they cannot be
helped
But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive. The individual says, we are alive and
breathing? How are we dead? We can still
make it.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller HayleyR. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R75,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
