Refugee Blues:
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. 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. Saw a poodle 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. WH Auden |
"Refugee Blues", W H Auden, 2003
Synopsis: The poem ‘Refugee Blues’ written by an Anglo-American man who was born in England named Wystan Hugh Auden is one that is quite deep in nature. The tone of the poem is somber and is about a family who has moved to Australia and are or Jewish German background. The poem indicated the struggle that is encountered by these refugees whilst attempting to find their place within everyday Australian society. They find themselves outcast in their own home. The family is dumb-founded and disappointed by the fact that they are unable to make this transition in their new home. Reflection: Refugee Blues is a great related text as it can enrich the exploration of the prescribed text in the context of Module C. Refugee Blues and The Story of Tom Brennan both depict the notion of transitions in people as a consequence of a change of location. Although the context is extremely different from text to text, the consequences and transition of self is relatively similar. This explores the notion that transitions may “be challenging, confronting, exciting or transformative…” (Board of Studies English Stage 6 Prescriptions, 2014) The use of this text enhances the idea of transitions in the form of environment or location however presents it under a differing context. This allows students to draw connections between the two texts and the type of transitions that are occurring however, also allows them to explore the reasons why these negative emotions occur throughout the two texts. The conjunction of ‘The story of Tom Brennan’ and ‘Refugee Blues’ also allows students to work towards achieving outcome 2: A student demonstrated understanding of the relationships among texts (Board of Studies English Stage 6 Syllabus 2009). It also enriches the unit and elective as the topic of refugees is something that is still constant throughout Australian society and is therefore a relevant and contemporary issue that the students can relate to and show empathy towards. |