Refugee in America
There are words like Freedom
Sweet and wonderful to say
On my heart-strings freedom sings
All day everyday.There are words like Liberty
That almost make me cry.
If you had known what I knew
You would know why.
Summary of Refugee in America
- Popularity of “Refugee in America”: The poem “Refugee in America” by Langston Hughes, a popular African American poet, writer, and activist, is brief but a matchless poetic piece. The poem first appeared in 1943 and was later printed in 1964. The poetic uniqueness of this short piece lies in its questioning of abstract ideas like freedom and liberty and their reality in post-Civil War America.
- “Refugee in America” As a Representative of Immigration and Refugee: Although the title indicates what the poem is about, its first stanza goes beyond the given title, showing the poet’s use of a great simile that these words “Refugee in America” are similar to freedom. Ironically, the poet also sings these words, an act which means that America extends refuge to immigrants and asylum seekers. Yet, the last two lines show how Hughes has personified freedom, saying that it sings on the heart-strings of freedom. He, again, equates both words, saying that he is not happy over this issue in the United States and cries but does not discuss the reason. He says that even if Liberty comes to know about Freedom what he knows, it would accept his version.
- Major Themes in “Refugee in America”: Freedom, hypocrisy, and implicit racial discrimination are three major themes of the poem. The poem becomes somewhat ironic and esoteric in the very opening lines when it is compared to the title of the piece. It is because the United States is often considered a land of freedom and opportunities and the poet agrees with it. Despite this, it is quite hypocritical that he agrees to disagree and states that even if Liberty comes to know about it, she would be aware of the reason for his misgivings. Implicitly, he is critical of the racial discrimination prevalent in the United States at that time that is contradictory to what is touted through discourse.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Refugee in America”
literary devices make poetry worth reading. The analysis of these devices in the poem as given below shows this fact.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /e/ in “There are words like Freedom”, /a/ in “All day everyday”, and the sound of /o/ “You would know why.”
- Alliteration: It is the use of successive consonant sounds in the initials of the successive words such as /m/ in “make me.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /s/ and /w/ in “Sweet and wonderful to say”, and the sounds of /r/ and /m/ in “That almost make me cry.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
There are words like Liberty
That almost make me cry.
If you had known what I knew
You would know why.
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. The poem shows the use of imagery such as “Sweet and wonderful to say”, “That almost make me cry” and “You would know why.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of freedom and liberty used as metaphors. Freedom has been presented as a singer and Liberty has been presented as a wretched person.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of abstract ideas such as liberty and freedom.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Refugee in America”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows an ABCB rhyme scheme that lasts until the end in both stanzas.
- Quatrain: This is a four-lined stanza borrowed from Persian poetry. Each of the stanzas in this poem is a quatrain.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas with each having four verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Refugee in America” are relevant to use when teaching about racial slurs but in an oppressed society which talks about freedom yet does not provide it to a certain section.
There are words like Liberty
That almost make me cry.
If you had known what I knew
You would know why.