Thesis Question: How does the writer attempt to make the reader sympathise with the refugees in the poem?
In the poem “Refugee Blues”, W.H Auden highlights the struggle of German Jews in 1939 Nazi Germany, as a couple recount the events in their gradual separation from society during the war. Having fled to the United Kingdom, Auden illustrates the life of two refugees, using repetition to exemplify their feelings of desolation and solitude. The poet develops this by noting the vast discrepancy of social status in the UK, using metaphors and hyperbole to contrast between the freedoms of the animal and human world, reminding the reader of the extent in which humanity can fall victim to the cruelty of religious intolerance and biased prejudice; …show more content…
Under the suspicion that “If we (the English) let them in, they will steal our daily bread”(17), the Jews are taken to be thieves and opposition to Christian beliefs and values. With “daily bread” referring to the ‘vitality’ represented in The Last Supper, the English believe the refugees to be a threat to societal welfare and health. Moreover, the third stanza specifies an element of natural renewal, where “In the churchyard there grows and old yew, / Every spring it blossoms anew:”(7-8). Churchyards symbolising loss of life, reference to the distinct Christian burial ground informs the reader of the instability and lack of continuity in the life of the refugees, as well as the absence of religious acceptance - even after having escaped persecution in Germany. Auden combines these to remind the reader of the extent in which humanity can fall victim to the cruelty of religious intolerance and prejudice.
An amalgamation of death, tragedy, and lack of freedom, “Refugee Blues” is a powerful poem which reminds one of the inequality and stereotypical nature of human society, encapsulating the brutality of Hitler’s regime and its effect upon the world. Using linguistic techniques to embellish the plight and suffering of the refugees in their new-found ‘home’, W.H Auden leads the reader to question the degree in which humanity promotes equality and personal identity, if at
In the poem “Refugee Blues”, W.H Auden highlights the struggle of German Jews in 1939 Nazi Germany, as a couple recount the events in their gradual separation from society during the war. Having fled to the United Kingdom, Auden illustrates the life of two refugees, using repetition to exemplify their feelings of desolation and solitude. The poet develops this by noting the vast discrepancy of social status in the UK, using metaphors and hyperbole to contrast between the freedoms of the animal and human world, reminding the reader of the extent in which humanity can fall victim to the cruelty of religious intolerance and biased prejudice; …show more content…
Under the suspicion that “If we (the English) let them in, they will steal our daily bread”(17), the Jews are taken to be thieves and opposition to Christian beliefs and values. With “daily bread” referring to the ‘vitality’ represented in The Last Supper, the English believe the refugees to be a threat to societal welfare and health. Moreover, the third stanza specifies an element of natural renewal, where “In the churchyard there grows and old yew, / Every spring it blossoms anew:”(7-8). Churchyards symbolising loss of life, reference to the distinct Christian burial ground informs the reader of the instability and lack of continuity in the life of the refugees, as well as the absence of religious acceptance - even after having escaped persecution in Germany. Auden combines these to remind the reader of the extent in which humanity can fall victim to the cruelty of religious intolerance and prejudice.
An amalgamation of death, tragedy, and lack of freedom, “Refugee Blues” is a powerful poem which reminds one of the inequality and stereotypical nature of human society, encapsulating the brutality of Hitler’s regime and its effect upon the world. Using linguistic techniques to embellish the plight and suffering of the refugees in their new-found ‘home’, W.H Auden leads the reader to question the degree in which humanity promotes equality and personal identity, if at