Language

• What theme is referred to repeatedly?

  A theme of sunlight is commonly referred to within the poem.
• What technique is used in the first line of The Emigree and what does it convey?

  The poem uses deixis in the first line. This creates a childlike, nostalgic tone by showing the speaker’s personal, emotional connection to an unnamed place. It reflects how memories can be vague but powerful, like a child’s innocent perspective.
• What type of imagery is used in the quote "it tastes of sunlight", and what does it show?

  The quote uses gustatory imagery (related to taste), which is unusual because sunlight isn’t something you can literally taste. This creates a vivid, sensory experience that links the memory to the innocence and wonder of childhood. The “taste of sunlight” makes the language seem bright, warm, and precious, as if the memory itself is something sweet and nourishing. It also conveys the narrator’s delight and deep emotional attachment to the place, showing how positively she feels about her past despite any difficulties.
• What does "I have no passport" show?

  1. The first line of the final stanza sounds hopeless.
  2. The phrase “I have no passport” alludes to the pain and conflict caused by man-made borders and political divisions. It highlights the narrator’s forced displacement and lack of official recognition or freedom of movement. This creates a sense of loss, exclusion, and identity struggle, showing how political boundaries can deeply affect personal lives and memories.
• What is the effect of the emphatic repetition in the phrase "they accuse me" in The Emigree?

  The repetition of “they accuse me” creates an emphatic, forceful effect that highlights the persecution the speaker faces in their new home. It builds a violent and hostile tone, showing how the speaker feels targeted and judged, emphasizing the ongoing conflict and alienation caused by displacement.
• What is significant about the opening of The Emigree?

  • The opening line, “There once was a country,” creates a fantastical tone, showing the place is a memory, not reality.
  • This reflects how the speaker’s memory is romanticised by youthful idealism and may not be fully reliable.
  • The use of ellipsis (…) creates a pause, showing the narrator’s hesitation and thought-gathering, adding to the sense of an unreliable memory.
  • The poem contrasts the English “the” with the French “Emigree,” highlighting the speaker’s conflicted identity between two cultures.
  • The memory is described as “sunlight-clear,” symbolising an idealised, bright, but possibly distorted view of the past despite the harsh reality (war, tyranny).
• How is personification used in the final stanza of The Emigree and what does it reveal about the speaker’s relationship with her homeland?

  The city is heavily personified as a child or companion, shown in quotes like “my city comes to me in its own white plane”, “I comb its hair”, and “love its shining eyes”. This intimate, nurturing imagery presents the speaker’s homeland as innocent, vulnerable, and deeply loved. By portraying the city as a human presence, Rumens emphasises the speaker’s emotional attachment, and her need to preserve, care for, and protect her idealised memory of it—despite its political realities or absence.