The Emigrée (Carol Rumens)

The Emigrée by Carol Rumens is a poignant exploration of the enduring emotional ties to one's homeland and the psychological impact of displacement. Through vivid imagery and emotive language, Rumens reflects on the complexities of identity, memory, and belonging. You can read the poem below and will find detailed analysis further down the page.

The Emigrée by Carol Rumens

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.

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.

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.

Analysis

Context

"The Emigrée" is included in the GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology "Power and Conflict," which features poems exploring various dimensions of power, including its impact on individual lives. Carol Rumens, a British poet, draws on her own experiences and observations to craft a poem that captures the emotional and psychological challenges faced by immigrants.

Themes

Identity and Belonging: Central to the poem is the theme of identity and belonging. Rumens explores how the speaker's sense of self is shaped by her memories of her homeland, despite being physically removed from it. The poem reflects on the enduring emotional ties that bind the speaker to her native land, highlighting the ways in which place and identity are intertwined.

Memory and Nostalgia: "The Emigrée" delves into themes of memory and nostalgia. The speaker's memories of her homeland are depicted as vivid and enduring, serving as a source of comfort and solace amidst the challenges of displacement. The poem reflects on the power of memory to sustain and nourish the human spirit, even in the face of adversity.

Loss and Displacement: The poem also explores themes of loss and displacement. The speaker grapples with the sense of dislocation and alienation that comes with being uprooted from one's homeland. Rumens highlights the psychological toll of displacement, as the speaker struggles to reconcile her memories of her homeland with the reality of her new surroundings.

Imagery and Language

Rumens employs vivid imagery and emotive language to evoke the speaker's emotional landscape. Descriptions of "my city, familiar alleyways / would not seem strange" and "the bright, filled paperweight" create a sense of nostalgia and longing for the familiarity of the speaker's homeland. The use of sensory language, such as "scent of the blown fields," immerses the reader in the speaker's memories, evoking the sights, sounds, and smells of her native land.

Structure and Form

"The Emigrée" is structured as a series of seven quatrains, with a regular rhyme scheme (ABAB). This structured form provides a sense of coherence and continuity to the poem, mirroring the speaker's attempt to make sense of her experiences of displacement. The enjambment between lines creates a sense of flow and movement, reinforcing the poem's themes of transition and change.

Tone and Perspective

The tone of the poem is reflective and introspective, as the speaker grapples with the complexities of displacement and identity. Rumens adopts a first-person perspective, allowing readers to empathise with the speaker's experiences and emotions. The use of repetition, such as "I am branded by an impression of sunlight," emphasises the enduring impact of the speaker's memories, underscoring their significance in shaping her sense of self.

Characterisation

While "The Emigrée" primarily focuses on the speaker's experiences, Rumens subtly hints at the broader social and political context that underlies the poem. Through descriptions of "another city," Rumens acknowledges the challenges faced by immigrants in adapting to new surroundings and navigating unfamiliar cultural landscapes. The speaker emerges as a resilient and introspective figure, grappling with the complexities of displacement while holding onto the memories that sustain her.

Social Commentary

Through the lens of the speaker's experiences, Rumens offers a broader commentary on the human cost of displacement and the enduring power of memory and nostalgia. The poem invites readers to reflect on the ways in which place and identity are intertwined, and the challenges faced by immigrants in forging a sense of belonging in unfamiliar surroundings. By highlighting the emotional and psychological toll of displacement, Rumens challenges readers to empathise with the experiences of immigrants and recognise the universal human desire for connection and belonging.

Conclusion

"The Emigrée" by Carol Rumens is a poignant meditation on the enduring emotional ties to one's homeland and the challenges of displacement. Through its vivid imagery, emotive language, and introspective tone, the poem invites readers to reflect on the complexities of identity, memory, and belonging. As part of the GCSE English Literature Poetry Anthology "Power and Conflict," "The Emigrée" serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of displacement and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

You can find analysis of all the AQA Power and Conflict Poetry Anthology Poems here. 

You can find analysis of all the Edexcel Belonging Poetry Anthology Poems here.