Refugee Blues W H Auden Structure The poem

Refugee Blues W H Auden

Structure The poem is structured by having 3 lines in each stanza The first two lines of every stanza talks about a situation and the third/last line is about him breaking the news gently to his “dear” The rhyme scheme is A-A-B Blues was considered sad/slave music and therefore the general bluesy structure of the poem conveys the sadness.

Stanza 1 “Say this city has ten million souls” the phrase “ten million” shows how huge this city is (hyperbole). Also the word “souls” adds a spiritual/religious aspect to it. “Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes” This line shows the immense contrast between the different people and their living conditions. “Yet there’s no place for us, my dear, yet there’s no place for us” The repetition used projects the difficulty faced by the couple

Stanza 2 “Once we had a country and we thought it fair” shows how they had their rights and ideals like belonging to a country abandoned. This is due to Nazi occupation. “We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now” This shows how helpless they as even though they belong to a country they once called home and the country still exists, they still have no place to go to.

Stanza 3 “In the village churchyard there grows an old yew/Every spring it blossoms anew” Shows contrast between nature and the refugees as there is always a new hope for natural life – it renews – unlike the refugees. “Old passports can’t do that, my dear, old passports can’t do that” Once again the repetition is used to show helpless the couple are.

Stanza 4 “The consul banged the table and said” The word “banged” shows anger. “‘If you’ve got no passport, you’re officially dead’“ Shows that even people with authority refuse to help and that the state doesn’t really care. It also shows how without their passport they are simply nobodies. “But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive” Shows the confusion by the couple as they’re not actually dead.

Stanza 5 “Went to a committee; they offered me a chair; /Asked me politely to return next year” Shows that despite or their current situation, the committee still doesn’t care and asks them to come in a year’s time. “But where shall we go to-day, my dear, where shall we go to-day? ” Shows once again the helplessness that is starting to grow and grown throughout the poem.

Stanza 6 “Came to a public meeting; the speaker got up and said: /’If we let them in, they will steal our daily bread’” Shows how people are afraid of the couple. The term “daily bread” gives a Christian reference which shows a Jew vs Christian idea. This stanza emphasizes on how most of the people are unwilling to help the couple as they are scared of them.

Stanza 7 “Thought I heard the thunder rumbling in the sky” The use of the word “thunder” makes a scary and threatening image. This is assisted with the use of the word “rumbling” showing how mighty this sound was. “It was Hitler over Europe, saying: ‘They must die’” shows how the couple are in danger and under the threat of death

Stanza 8 “Saw a poodle in a jacket fastened with a pin” shows the contrast between the couple and the animals as the poodle is cared for, unlike the couple. “Saw a door opened and a cat let in” this also shows contrast between the couple and the animals as, unlike the couple, cats are let in anywhere they want. “But they weren’t German Jews, my dear, but they weren’t German Jews” shows that they are the only people (German Jews) that are under the threat of death

Stanza 9 “Went down to the harbor and stood upon the quay, / Saw the fish swimming as if they were free” this shows once again the contrast between the couple and nature as the fish are swimming so freely and are able to go any place they wish “Only ten feet away, my dear, only ten feet away” shows how frustrating it is as the sense of freedom is so close yet so far

Stanza 10 “They had no politicians and sang at their ease” this shows that the couple blames politicians for their situation “They weren’t the human race, my dear, they weren’t the human race” shows a wildlife vs humanity idea.

Stanza 11 “I dreamed of a building with a thousand floors” Shows contrast between other people and the couple as it seems like everyone has a place to live except them. “Not one of them was ours, my dear, not one of them was ours” Shows the reader the hopelessness faced by the couple.

Stanza 12 “Stood on a great plain in the falling snow” gives an image of coldness and death “Ten thousand soldiers marching to and fro” is a hyperbole to show the immense number of soldiers after them “Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me” Makes a beautiful yet dangerous ending. The soldiers are not looking for them particularly but they are looking for German Jews.