“in_the_Poem_“Refugee_Blues”_by_W.H._Auden,_Discuss_the_Relevance_of_the_Concepts_Both_Past_and_Present.

“Refugee Blues” is a highly emotive poem in which W.H Auden attempts to convey as vividly as possible the persecution and suffering of Jews and Hitler’s hatred of them. There are many concepts and ideas that come out from this, considering human life to be worthless; the comparison of Christianity to Jewish life; depicting Jews as vermin and exploring the rejection of Jews by society. Auden opens the poem by using pejorative language in stating the difference of authority between the rich “mansions” and Jews “holes” and how Jews don’t have anywhere to live “ no place for us”. The leitmotif of the effect of persecution on the Jews encourages the reader to empathise with the Jews. The last line of the stanza makes the grim reality seem even more poignant. Jews are resigned to grim fates; they are exiled from their own country and cannot return because “old passports can’t do that”. It’s very upsetting to leave everything you have, have ever had or had ever owned. They can see their country in a map but only an old map which doesn’t change the fact that they cannot return. Auden compares a tree to life, he says every year trees blossom a new when “old passports can’t do that”. He’s saying old passports should be counted and should be treated like current passports. He thinks they should be renewed if trees re-blossom each year “Every spring it blossoms anew”. Auden then compares identity to life “no passport... officially dead” because without a passport it’s very limited what one can do. The Jews are metaphorically dead, a non entity because their passports are rejected when they haven’t expired and they’re not fake. W.H. Auden tries to express how the committee was no use as they only offered transitory help of a “chair”, half rhymes with “year”. The speakers tone releases more desperation; they need help now “come back next year” which is way too late, tomorrow isn’t any use help is needed today. The refugees are openly neglected by society, people were publicly racist “asked me politely to return next year”. Nowadays more places have had racism under control because racism is no longer overt. Whether it’s a harsh winter or hot day you shouldn’t see a “poodle in a jacket” when there are homeless Jews “building with a thousand floors... not one of them was ours, my dear”. This analogy contrasts with “great plain” and “falling snow”. All the Jew’s freedom is so alluringly close which beguiles and yet they are trapped, exiled and demoralised by a world that they can’t change or survive in. Nature is so different and lucky “birds in the trees.... had no politicians and sang at their ease”. In this situation we have to assume that the birds are singing out of happiness not fright or danger. The tone of the poem starts off as quite melancholic, sad and resigned but then it seems a bit more conversational after reading “my dear” (probably talking about a loved one or his wife). Then on the 7th stanza the tone changes and becomes very ominous, deadly, and threatening. The comparison within the poem evokes the reader to identify their situation and sympathise with them. I have shown how he portrays the ways in which racism was more commonly carried out.