Originally Flashcards
“We came from our own country”
First person plural emphasises that the move to another country affected the entire family. The assonance of ‘our own’ reinforces the speaker’s sense of belonging to her previous hometown.
“in a red room”
Word choice of ‘red’ has connotations of danger and anger. This could potentially reflect the speaker’s feelings towards being forced to pack up and leave everything she knows. The alliteration emphasises the intensity of her emotions.
“which fell through the fields”
Metaphor - could mean the train ‘falling’ down through South to England but also represents the speaker’s lack of control in the move. It could have been sudden and she feels like she has no say in it.
“our mother singing, / our father’s name to the turn of the wheels.”
This contrasts to the speaker’s negative emotions in the previous lines. The mother seems to be optimistic and is attempting to cheer her children up by singing to them. It is unknown whether the father is with her family or they are on their way to join him.
“My brothers cried, one of them bawling, Home, Home,”
The intensity of the brothers’ emotions contrasts the mothers singing. ‘Bawling’ has connotations of being very upset and devastated. The repetition and capitalisation of ‘Home’ underlines the sense of loss and separation the children are experiencing. It is the childish habit of repeating oneself in order to get your point across to show the importance of their home to the children.
“as the miles rushed back to the city,”
Personification - ‘miles’ suggests the distance travelled and the desperation of the children to return home. This accentuates the loss of control and hopelessness the speaker is feeling.
“the street, the house, the vacant rooms where we didn’t live any more.”
The list emphasises the specific areas of her home she will miss as she is on her journey to another country. ‘Vacant’ reflects the emptiness she is feeling because she is losing a part of herself. Use of first person again demonstrates that the move is affecting the whole family.
“a blind toy”
Transferred epithet - the speaker is ‘blind’ as she enters this new situation. She is moving to an unknown city and it making her uncertain and anxious. She is holding onto her toy in order to get some reassurance.
“All childhood is an emigration.”
Definitive short sentence including a metaphor which widens the ideas of the poem to a general theme. Childhood is a transitional stage which brings along with it many changes that are beyond anyone’s control. The image is kinetic because she is moving away to a new country but also metaphorical. As we grow up our physical appearance and personality changes.
“Your accent wrong.”
Short sentence suggests an abrupt realisation. Her accent immediately sticks out to the rest of the children and it makes her feel insecure. It also conveys the speaker’s reliance on being accepted.
“big boys eating worms and shouting words you don’t understand.”
The plosive alliteration of ‘big boys’ emphasises the speaker’s vulnerability as she is confronted by strange behaviour. She once again feels different to everyone else and her anxiety is conveyed to the reader.
“My parents’ anxiety stirred like a loose tooth,”
Simile - just as a loose tooth is annoying because it doesn’t seem to fall out so too her parents worries are ever-present and disturbing her. This contrasts with her mother’s optimism in the first stanza.
“In my head. I want our own country, I said.”
Internal rhyme makes it a concluding statement that emphasises the speaker’s desire to return to her hometown. It links back to the opening lines of the first stanza and is a childish lament that reflects how young the speaker is when she is moving.
“But then you forget, or don’t recall, or change.”
Use of second person involves the reader and makes them reflect on their own childhood. The polysyndetic list insinuates that the speaker has grown up and let go of the past. It gives equal balance to each option. This also exposes the fragile nature of childhood memory.
“seeing your brother swallow a slug”
Sibilance refers back to the ‘big boys’ eating worms in the previous stanza. This is evidence that her brother has quickly assimilated to his new environment.
