Refugees
By Brian Bilston
They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you or me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back to where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It is not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way
Summary of Refugees
- Popularity of “Refugees”: “Refugees” by Brian Bilston, a British poet, writer, and social media activist, is an interesting piece about migration and refugees. The poem first appeared in 2019 on social media after which it has won popularity on account of its unique subject matter. The poem highlights the poet’s advice to the natives on how to treat the refugees with contempt with the message to see the world from some other perspective.
- “Refugees” As a Representative of Migration and Refugees: Bilston opens the poem with a bit of sane advice that the refugees do not need any help from modern-day human rights advocates. However, what they need is to leave them to ruminate over their situation. He goes on to say that he does not need to be informed that the refugees are oppressed, are in bad condition, and that they have haggard faces. He also adds that he knows that they are chancers, layabouts, loungers, having committed heinous crimes, and so on. However, what he wants to assert is that they do not need to come to other countries. They should go back to their own country. The reason he states is that they share food, lodging, and the land of other people. The cure to this scourge is to build a way to let them know that they are not welcome and that only indigenous people should have the right to live and enjoy in their lands. By the end, the poet, however, voices his opinion to advise the readers that they should not think about it in this way, for the world could be looked upon from some other perspective – the perspective of the refugees.
- Major Themes in “Refugees”: Migration, sharing, contempt for refugees, and opposite point of view are four major themes of this poem. The poet discusses migration, the situation of the migrants, and the attitude of the native people throughout the poem, highlighting that the refugees should stay in their country as they share the food and lands of other people. However, he also gives ironic remarks by the end to make his readers feel that sharing is a good thing and that they should not think in this way to voice their contempt for the refugees. Rather, it is another point of view that they should think about.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used In “Refugees”
literary devices bring variety into simple poetic pieces. Brian Bilston has also used some literary devices in this poem whose analysis is as follows.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /e/ and /a/ in “These haggard faces could belong to you or me” the sound of /o/ and /a/ in “Go back to where they came from” and the sound of /o/ in “Do not be so stupid to think that.”
- Alliteration: The poem shows the use of alliteration in the shape of initial consonant sounds of the neighboring words such as the sound of /h/ in “he holds” and the sound of /s/ in “so stupid.”
- Anaphora: It is to repeat a phrase in the beginning of the verses or clauses such as “Share our…” is an anaphora.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /d/ and /f/ in “Should life have dealt a different hand” and the sound of /t/ and /s/ in “Do not be so stupid to think that.”
- 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;
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Brian Bilston has used imagery in this poem such as “Chancers and scroungers”, “Build a wall to keep them out” and “The world can be looked at another way.”
- 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 symbols of crimes, wall, and land to highlight migration and refugees.
- Simile: The poem shows the use of simple similes such as “These are people just like us.”
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “Refugees”
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.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows the use of very simple diction and simple ideas with a serious and ironic tone.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any specific rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This poem has a single stanza comprising 24 verses in total.
- Repetition: It is a rhetorical device used to stress upon the main ideas such as “Share” which has been repeated several times in the poem.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “Refugees” are appropriate to quote when talking about different perspectives about a phenomenon.
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way.
