We Refugees - Benjamin Zephaniah

AO1

We are all connected - a plea for tolerance

AO2

• anaphoric repetition & repetition mimics our interconnectedness & intensity/familiarity of refugee experiences

• direct address emphasises it is an issue for us all

• no set rhyme scheme - makes poem more natural & argumentative

• inconsistent stanza lengths - reflective of erratic nature & unpredictable lives of refugees

“I come from a musical place/ Where they shoot me for my song”

• highlights the juxtaposition between the beauty of music and the violence faced by the speaker

• being silenced - various forms of expression are banned

• contrasts artistic freedom with oppressive realities

“I come from a beautiful place/ Where they hate my shade of skin”

• adjective ‘beautiful’ insinuates a soft, serene tone as it is often associated with harmony and joy

• juxtaposes with verb ‘hate’ which has harsh connotations. use of irony with “Where tourists go to darken skin” - highlighting absurdity of racism

• contrasting language shows how quickly life can change

• something beautiful can become negative/dangerous

“I come from a great old forest/ I think it is now a field”

• metaphor reflects the crisis that occurs in many refugees’ homelands & illustrates loss of identity and place due to conflict or violence

• ‘forest’ has connotations of richness & growth, while ‘field’ suggests barrenness and desolation, emphasising the transformation and devastation caused by war.

• destruction of cultural heritage/ emptying out culture

“each year the hurricane tells us/ That we must keep moving on”

• refugees have no fault in the unfortunate ways their life unfolded - it is completely out of their control & is highlighted by the imperative verb ‘tell’

• repetition of ‘each year’ suggests the regularity of the weather, contrasting with the unpredictable lives of refugees who ‘must keep moving on’

• refugees do not have a permanent home & endure the pain of endless travel & instability of their lives

Comparative poems for immigration & identity

Us

Comparative poems for refugee & feelings moving away from home

The Emigree