Poetry Analysis

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Refugee Blues

Original Poetry

Translation

Say this city has ten million souls, Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes: Yet there's no place for us, my dear, yet there's no place for us.

This city has ten million people, some live in big houses, some in small, poor places: But there's no place for us, my dear, no place for us.

Once we had a country and we thought it fair. Look in the atlas and you'll find it there: We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now.

We once had a country and thought it was fair. You can find it on the map: But we can't go there now, my dear, we can't go there now.

In the village churchyard there grows an old yew, Every spring it blossoms anew: Old passports can't do that, my dear, old passports can't do that.

In the village cemetery, an old yew tree grows, it blooms every spring: Old passports can't do that, my dear, old passports can't do that.

The consul banged the table and said. "If you've got no passport you're officially dead": But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive.

The consul slammed the table and said, "Without a passport, you're officially dead": But we're still alive, my dear, we're still alive.

Went to a committee; they offered me a chair, Asked me politely to return next year: But where shall we go to-day, my dear, but where shall we go to-day?

I went to a committee; they offered me a seat, and asked me to come back next year: But where can we go today, my dear, where can we go today?

Came to a public meeting; the speaker got up and said, "If we let them in, they will steal our daily bread" He was talking of you and me, my dear, he was talking of you and me.

At a public meeting, the speaker said, "If we let them in, they'll take our jobs": He was talking about us, my dear, about us.

Thought I heard the thunder rumbling in the sky, It was Hitler over Europe, saying, "They must die" O we were in his mind, my dear, O we were in his mind.

I thought I heard thunder in the sky, it was Hitler over Europe, saying, "They must die": We were on his mind, my dear, we were on his mind.

Saw a poodie in a jacket fastened with a pin, Saw a door opened and a cat let in: But they weren't German Jews, my dear, but they weren't German Jews.

I saw a dog in a coat held with a pin, saw a door open and a cat let in: But they weren't German Jews, my dear, they weren't German Jews.

Went down the harbour and stood upon the quay. Saw the fish swimming as if they were free: Only ten feet away, my dear, only ten feet away.

I went to the harbor and stood on the dock. I saw fish swimming freely: Just ten feet away, my dear, just ten feet away.

Walked through a wood, saw the birds in the trees; They had no politicians and sang at their ease: They weren't the human race, my dear, they weren't the human race.

I walked through the woods, saw birds in the trees; they had no politicians and sang freely: They weren't human, my dear, they weren't human.

Dreamed I saw a building with a thousand floors, A thousand windows and a thousand doors: Not one of them was ours, my dear, not one of them was ours.

I dreamed of a building with a thousand floors, a thousand windows, and a thousand doors: Not one was ours, my dear, not one was ours.

Stood on a great plain in the falling snow, Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.

I stood on a vast plain in the snow, ten thousand soldiers marched back and forth: Looking for us

WH Auden.

my dear, looking for us.

Explanation

W. H. Auden's 'Refugee Blues' is a poignant reflection on the plight of Jewish refugees during the rise of Nazi Germany. The poem uses the blues form, traditionally associated with expressing sorrow and hardship, to convey the despair and alienation felt by refugees. The repeated refrain 'my dear' adds a personal and intimate tone, emphasizing the shared suffering of the speaker and their companion. The poem contrasts the freedom and renewal found in nature with the harsh realities faced by the refugees, who are denied a place to call home. The imagery of the yew tree, which blossoms anew each spring, symbolizes renewal and hope, yet the refugees' old passports cannot offer them the same rebirth. The poem also critiques the bureaucratic indifference and xenophobia that refugees encounter, as seen in the consul's declaration that without a passport, they are 'officially dead.' The poem's references to Hitler and the threat of war underscore the urgency and danger faced by the refugees. Auden's use of simple language and repetition highlights the universality of the refugees' plight, making their suffering accessible and relatable to the reader.

Word Dictionary18

Word	In English	Plain (English)	Pron.
souls	people	individuals or persons	sohlz
mansions	large houses	big, luxurious homes	man-shuhnz
holes	small, poor places	cramped, inadequate living spaces	hohlz
atlas	map book	a book of maps	at-luhs
yew	type of tree	a kind of evergreen tree	yoo
consul	official	government representative	kon-suhl
quay	dock	a platform by the water for loading and unloading ships	kee
ease	comfort	without difficulty or stress	eez
plain	flat land	a large, flat area of land	pleyn
thunder	loud noise from the sky	the sound following a lightning flash	thuhn-duhr
rumbling	deep, rolling sound	a low, continuous noise	ruhm-bling
blossoms	flowers	blooms or flowers appearing	blos-uhmz
officially	formally	in a way recognized by authority	uh-fish-uh-lee
steal	take without permission	to take something that isn't yours	steel
harbour	place for ships	a sheltered area for ships	har-buhr
politicians	government leaders	people involved in politics	pol-i-tish-uhnz
floors	levels	stories or levels of a building	flawrz
soldiers	army men	members of the military	sohl-jurz

Poet & Context

PoetW. H. Auden

Era20th Century

Wystan Hugh Auden was a British-American poet known for his stylistic and technical achievements in poetry. His work engaged with politics, morals, love, and religion. Auden moved to the United States in 1939 and became an American citizen in 1946.

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When1939

WhyThe poem was written against the backdrop of the oppression and displacement faced by Jewish refugees during the rise of Nazi Germany. It reflects the despair and bureaucratic indifference experienced by refugees.

FormBlues

Themes & More

Themes

displacementalienationbureaucratic indifferencexenophobiahope and despair

Literary devices

repetition: The phrase 'my dear' is repeated to emphasize personal connection and shared suffering.imagery: Vivid descriptions of nature and urban settings highlight contrasts between freedom and confinement.metaphor: The yew tree symbolizes renewal, contrasting with the static nature of old passports.allusion: References to Hitler and the political climate of the time underscore the urgency of the refugees' plight.contrast: The freedom of nature versus the constraints faced by refugees highlights their struggles.