Summary
Highlights
Carol Rumens, born in 1944, is a poet, lecturer, and translator known for writing about foreign customs, cultures, and languages. Her poetry, including 'The Emigree', often features arresting imagery, symbolism, and a 'syntactically complex' style. 'The Emigree' comes from her 1993 collection 'Thinking of Skins: New and Selected Poems,' which focuses on political consciousness.
The speaker recalls leaving their country as a child, but their memory of it remains 'sunlight clear.' Despite hearing 'worst news' or its potential state of war or tyranny, the speaker is 'branded by an impression of sunlight,' indicating an unshakeably positive view of their homeland.
The 'white streets' and 'graceful slopes' of the city grow clearer with time, even as 'frontiers rise' between the speaker and their homeland. The 'child's vocabulary' carried like a 'hollow doll' still spills its grammar, tasting of 'sunlight,' even if the language is now 'banned by the state.' The memory and language refuse to be suppressed.
In the most ambiguous stanza, the speaker has 'no passport' to return, but their 'city comes to me in its own white plain,' lying 'docile as paper.' The city is personified, loved, and takes the speaker 'dancing.' Others 'accuse me of absence' and 'dark' presence, but the speaker's 'shadow falls as evidence of sunlight,' reiterating the positive memory.
Neither the country nor the city is named, which is intentional. This lack of specific detail makes the poem relatable to many people who have left their homelands, whether for political reasons (as implied by 'emigre') or other circumstances, making its themes universally applicable.
The poem is considered a 'power and conflict' poem, specifically exploring the 'power of place.' Despite the dangers and conflicts in her homeland, the speaker passionately loves it. This highlights conflicting emotions: love for the place versus the necessity of leaving due to external factors like tyrants. The poem juxtaposes positive and negative imagery, with the positive impact of the place ultimately overpowering the negative.
The poem is written in free verse with no rhyme or regular rhythm, featuring enjambment and caesura. This chaotic structure reflects the instability and danger of the speaker's homeland and their sense of powerlessness. However, the relatively regular stanza length (stanzas one and two with eight lines, stanza three with nine) can be interpreted as the speaker's attempt to impose order on the chaos, refusing to be overwhelmed by negativity. The final, longest stanza emphasizes the speaker's reluctance to leave the city.
The repeated caesura, particularly in the final stanza, suggests both chaos and perhaps the deliberate pauses that lead to emphasis. The word 'sunlight' is a recurring motif ('sunlight clear,' 'branded by an impression of sunlight,' 'tastes of sunlight,' 'evidence of sunlight'), symbolizing enduring happiness and positivity that persists despite war, tyranny, and persecution. The juxtaposition in 'branded by an impression of sunlight' shows how love for the place overwhelms its negative realities. The repetition of 'they' in the final stanza, although ambiguous in its referent, creates a threatening tone, highlighting the conflict between the people and the cherished place.
The 'bright filled paperweight' symbolizes stability. Just as a paperweight holds papers in place, the memory of her homeland holds the speaker steady, providing a sense of grounding and order amidst the chaos of her current reality and the turbulent past of her home.
The city is personified, almost as a lover: it 'comes to me,' 'lies down,' 'I comb its hair and love its shining eyes,' and 'takes me dancing.' This personification reveals the depth of the speaker's love and romantic connection to her homeland, portraying their relationship as a powerful, enduring romance despite the challenges faced.
The poem ultimately portrays the powerful, almost childlike love for a place that, despite all negativity and external messages, cannot be subdued or defeated. The place holds immense power in the speaker's heart, illustrating the profound and unyielding connection one can have to their homeland.