The Émigrée

• The poem "The Emigreé" by Carol Rumens is about someone who left their country as a child, looking back fondly while lamenting the discrimination in their new country
• The narrator believes her memories of the country she left as a child to be infallible
• The poem presents a positive perspective as the narrator gains more clarity on the situation
• The theme of language is crucial in defining the narrator's identity
• The narrator either returns to how the city is today or compares the city to her new home, facing a threatening atmosphere from the citizens
• Carol Rumens, born in London, wrote "The Emigreé" which reflects her experiences in Russia and Eastern Europe
• The opening line "there once was a country" establishes a fantastical tone, highlighting the romanticized memory of the place
• The title "The Emigreé" indicates the conflict between two cultures and identities
• Repetition of "they" in the poem creates an aggressive and accusatory tone, reflecting the hostility the narrator faces in her new city
• The poem discusses the experience of a woman facing racism and social rejection in her new city, leading to feelings of not belonging and entrapment
• Rumens uses enjambment in "Through the city// Of walls" to create connotations of entrapment
• The poem is predominantly in free verse with no rhyme or rhythm, possibly representing chaos and lack of control over a country with no stable government
• The use of epistrophe in the poem, ending every stanza with a reference to sunlight, juxtaposes positive and negative connotations, reflecting the speaker's love for her country despite pain
• Rumens employs the subjunctive case when referring to the negative attributes of her city, contrasting with the definitive statements about the flaws of her new city, showing her evolving perspective
• The poem acts as an extended metaphor for a lost childhood, with the narrator depicted to have naïve childlike tendencies and a maternal relationship with her former city
• Comparisons with "Checking out me history":

  • Both poems attach emotional significance to cultural identity
  • Importance of language is highlighted in both works
  • Contrasts in tone and portrayal of childhood: anger and lack of education in Agard's poem versus idealized childhood in Rumens' work