'The Emigree', by Carol Rumens: Mr Bruff Analysis

[@mrbruff]

Check out my ultimate 'Power and Conflict' poetry analysis video: 3 key points for all 15 poems 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6O7pZRspJJqjsk

[@lorenamcsorley6294]

low key scares me the way I'm seeing comments from people like one or two months ago and I'm only now revising these poems 4 days before the exam

[@gracedavina8760]

Lorenzo M literally only I’m doing it the day before

[@lc6923]

the night before for me.. oops

[@hennylieberman7305]

@@lc6923 haha lol same here!

[@sharazali3581]

@@lc6923 same

[@mckenziestevenson6197]

I’m the same 😂

[@kavis4189]

I believe that in stanza 3, the writer personifies the speaker and her old city to be a mother an a child. A child is not able to speak for themselves, or do things for themselves, "I comb its hair", much like how the city cannot speak for its self and prove to all those who hate on it that it is not just a terrible war zone', but a beautiful place as well. Therefor the speaker feels a need to care for and protect her child/her city, saying that "my city hides behind me", she must protect it like a mother protects a child when it's hurt. Another point is that a mother will see only good in a child, even when told the child is naughty or badly behaved - just like how the speaker loves her city so much, despite being torn between the positive feelings she has and the negative truths she hears. 💞💞 I don't know if anyone sees this as well but...

[@lucyh108]

Love this

[@hennylieberman7305]

luv it!! makes sooo much sense . tnx xx

[@aftina.hn.4369]

omg, this is a beautiful point !

[@oliverreynolds3947]

well using this tomorrow if I can good point

[@muogharasophie1255]

i will steal this for tomorrow Good point

[@ernestt916]

Use of term 'paperweight' could have a double meaning as : 1) A paperweight often has a beautiful design [frozen] in glass, this could show how her memories remain untainted by the more recent events, and she refuses to take in new ideas about it, she wants to keep her memories "filled" exclusively with pleasant memories. 2) "Paperweight" could be also referring to how her memories ground the chaos she reads in newspapers; (news)-paper weight. She attempts to regain some power over the disorder in the news by using her good memories to offer stability. Ultimately the power of memory is more powerful than destruction caused by dictators, or what have you. I appreciate that some may see the second as too far a stretch.

[@JohnSmith-bb8qs]

So the last verse goes like this " I have no passport, there's no way back at all but my city comes to me in its own white plane. It lies down in front of me, docile as paper; I comb its hair and love its shining eyes. My city takes me dancing through the city of walls. They accuse me of being dark in their free city. My city hides behind me. They mutter death, and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight' So Did my research because I was intrigued by the line 'city of walls' and in the poem, Mr Bruff says that the poet deliberately makes the location ambiguous to make the poem relevant to many places but I was still concerned about that line. So I looked up the city of walls and guess what I see? CONSTANTINOPLE OR as it would've been called in this poems context Istanbul Earlier in the poem the narrator talks about her country being at war NOT her city but her country so I had an idea looking at the line where she says that her language was 'banned by the state' and it made me think of any recent persecution that started in Istanbul and guess what? THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE It makes so much sense as she's accused of being 'dark' which is just a metaphor for evil she hasn't got a passport as all of her belongings have been stripped of her (this could also be a metaphor for her own identity being taken from her similarly to the Jews during the Holocaust) that makes sense her country is at war WW1! her country is 'sick with tyrants' Sultan Mehmed VI was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire during the genocide AND the icing on the cake The last two lines 'My city walks behind me. They mutter death, and my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight' This can easily be mistaken for something else but what this actually is, and this is the sad but incredible part, is that she is on a death march(a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees in which individuals are left to die along the way) 'her city' is referenced not THE city which means she's talking about her own view of the city with the people she knows (who were most probably all Armenian) trudging in the sand behind her. Then the people muttering death makes sense as obviously they are coughing and wheezing as there would be no breaks in a death march; finally the saddest part of all is the final image of the narrator falling to the ground 'as evidence of sunlight', this has a double meaning as she could've been the symbol of hope of the dawn of a new day or that could've been the idea behind the imagery of a child, nevertheless that all gets shattered, as the second interpretation suggests, as this would propose that she has fallen to the ground and died of exhaustion.

[@emmadaniel5533]

This is so useful tysm!

[@shanayepeacock2665]

Alex Poole yeah it was 😂

[@georgenelson84]

@@stellahovsepyan9299 shusshhhhhh

[@morganwife4239]

John Smith this is amazing thank you!!

[@aaqsaahmed]

Can I just say, the Ottoman Empire did not have Tyrant leaders.

[@mattiegale]

Would 'there once was a country ...' imitate the start of a fairytale showing how her memories are idealised and the ellipsis could represent how she cant let go of them anyway

[@meg3587]

I thought it more as it linking with the child like aspect of the poem

[@dibatorjani8218]

Yesssss

[@olliegains]

How did your exam go 7 years ago

[@throckmorton4588]

mr bruff you insightful devil you

[@BulkBlitzz]

💀

[@evabailey6068]

In addition to Mr Bruff's points, i believe that the image of the "bright, filled paperweight" almost reduces the city to a souvenir or something exciting that you would buy as a child. In this way, it is possible to look at the narrator's childhood memories as shallow and meaningless (as many of the 'important' childhood souvenirs are later deemed useless) and the narrator is therefore limiting herself to her shallow view of the city as it was when she was there, instead of broadening her view to accept the city as it is today.

[@Rachel_Tensions]

oooh I like this

[@papyrateyt2923]

thx

[@A24sss]

Eva Bailey yhhh I c h shinin. 1arda for the Mandes stil

[@Dylbobz]

To add to the childhood memories part, “I comb it hair and love it’s shining eyes” alludes to the way a maternal mother would care for their child. Which creates the impression that her hope filled, bright views of the place is those happy memories carried from childhood. 😄

[@MatchaUnwrapped]

@@Dylbobz no shit

[@onyekachianyamele6442]

For those who have the poem anthology for 2017 exams onwards, the has been a mistake. According to the line count in the margin, the poem is 30 lines long. Apparently, 20 +5 = 30

[@vocalarl]

hahah ive noticed

[@evabailey6068]

Didn't even notice that!

[@BongusTheWise]

Whoa

[@tomandjerry2069]

AQA are thich thats why

[@Rachel_Tensions]

"thich" - the irony

[@mimeewillz1950]

*THE CITY IS A METAPHOR FOR THE NARRATOR'S CHILDHOOD.*Rumens describes that as time goes by, the "frontiers rise;" time is a blockade from her reconnecting with her past, hence why she has "no passport." The narrator cannot simply time travel to regain the beauty of her childhood, so she tries to reminisce (creating a nostalgic tone) in order to reconnect with her 'city.'Furthermore, the repletion of the personal, possessive pronoun "my" shows how the narrator, and her alone, owns the city (her childhood). There is a very intimate tone created; the blank verse and enjambment mimic speech patterns which create a conversational, natural and intimate tone. This is created through personification- "I comb it's hair and love it's shining eyes."Lastly, the underlying motif of childhood is created through a plethora of nouns such as "hollow doll" and imagery of "its own white plane-" paper aeroplanes, and a plethora of words such as "child's vocabulary" and "child." What could be stronger evidence for this describing her childhood?Additionally, the idyllic presentation of the island is almost unrealistic; a child's view on life. For example, repetition of the images of "sunlight" and "white streets" and "graceful slopes" are beautiful descriptions, but they represent a child rather than adult outlook on life.KEEP THE HARD WORK UP! :) only 1.5 months left till GCSEs; you reap what you sow.

[@hollymason841]

This is amazing, thank you!

[@fazalsyed8271]

Thanks for this but how does the "they" and "tyrants" fit in?

[@mimeewillz1950]

Perhaps it is the threat of adults/ the adult world. She is growing up but trying desperately to cling to her childhood "They accuse me of absence"= the adults accuse her of absence from their world; she segregates "their free city" and "my city" to show that she refuses to let go of her childhood. Just a guess; good luck in your exams!

[@sarahstubs3420]

Maybe the tyrants and war are meant to be the negative aspects of her childhood - thus making the poem a message of how we idealise our childhoods to the point where it becomes almost fantasy; we ignore all the difficulties and just see it as perfect. For example, people often remember fondly having no responsibilities as a child, but this also means no influence or power. I love your idea by the way!

[@samuelboiten9061]

maybe the whole thing with her leaving as a child is because something traumatic happened, and the darkness and the bad people are the people who made the trauma happen

[@Tom-mf2vu]

im sorry but english lit is such waffle

[@TheBusinessBlueprint_]

Innit the poets definatley didnt mean for it to mean that many things ahaha

[@ihaptix2583]

Haha what a lad

[@NoahR-di1nu]

@@TheBusinessBlueprint_ truuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[@_21.Leo_]

allie

[@orwxh2154]

So true

[@georgiastencel9735]

I think one of the most provident themes within 'The Emigree' is the narrator's identity. We see that throughout the poem that they speak of their native country with such praise, and yet, they "have no passport". I think this highlights how the narrator is trying to hold onto their identity, but as they have "no way back at all" to their homeland, it is hard to say that the narrator will be the same person as they were before they were forced out of their home. I think the accusation of "absence" is a vital point to support the idea of identity, as it mirrors the idea of missing, therefore it can be argued that the narrator's identity is slowly disappearing. It is clear throughout 'The Emigree' that the narrator is trying to hold onto her identity by describing their native land as "sunlight", and it isn't until the last stanza where we see a volta, which is where "they accuse" the narrator of doing something wrong. Of course, this is just my interpretation of 'The Emigree', but I do think that the theme of identity does hold some value. I feel as though that sometimes, when a person is forced from their home, they have to leave everything behind, including their identity, hence my reasoning for thinking that identity is such an important theme within this poem.

[@alicepayne7238]

This is such a good point, definitely agree!!

[@ArifAli-hv6nm]

A turning point.

[@mrbruff]

I agree, but if you're studying on AQA you need to think about it in terms of power and conflict. I think lots of the poems can be seen as poems of identity, but that doesn't always help our understanding of power and conflict.

[@anneliese3081]

Could you say conflict due to identity?

[@torak1298]

What about "Checkin' out me history"?

[@jermainej1746]

just a thought, when she talks about the sunlight you can mention the "clear","branded" and "tastes" as a reference to the senses leading on to the idea that maybe the sunlight envolopes and invades her body therefore memory.

[@freidairedia2667]

I personally think when she mentions the city using personification as being 'sick' 'comes to me', 'lies down', 'I comb its hair' and 'takes me dancing' clearly show the speaker a child-like impression of the city being a dollhouse she can continue to play with but not realizing that the place contains a danger, only childish like memories she remembers as she mentions in the 2nd stanza 'the childish vocabulary I carried here' meaning the speaker is admitting her problem and being in denial with the state of her country, and as the personification words are amounting during the last stanza it insinuates the delusion and regretful feeling she has for her country, she is lacking power and cannot do anything in regard to this situation occurring.

[@caitlincook2344]

I honestly don't know where I would be without these videos, they really help me understand the poems. I have a poetry mock coming up soon and this has helped me so much

[@gumimissilelauncher]

Fr! I have to do a speech about this poem and I haven’t even studied it in class yet so this was an absolute life saver

[@vaniaazizi8819]

Also, for the quote "branded by an impression of sunlight" the aggressive and painful image "branded" not only shows her love for her city through juxtaposing with "sunlight", it also suggests a permanence to her view and passion---and that it cannot change :)

[@everderp]

Could you argue that this poem compares well with 'London'? Where in this poem, Carol Rumens justifies her oppression towards the country through the balance of negatively connotative language and structure to emphasize the oppression she has along side the reinforcement of "sunlight" which shows the love she has for her origin, meanwhile in 'London', William Blake depicts his country as being fully oppressive, without a hint of "sunlight".

[@zephaniahbates7283]

yes

[@somsangsi]

also compares with "poppies" as they both have the themes of loss

[@emmagreenwood7426]

At the very start of the poem she open with the past tense "there was a country", which shows the sense of loss she feels. She almost introduces it as if it were a fairy tale which gives us the impression that it is idealized.

[@thenight8798]

Context: “child’s vocabulary” can be a reference to the Russian poet Akhmatova who Rumens took inspiration from while writing ‘The Emigree’. Akhmatova influenced her poems from her imagination, from her “child’s vocabulary” rather than the real life events which are not referenced in her poetry. She protects the tradition of classical Russian culture from the onslaught of avant-garde radicalism and suffocating ideological scriptures of socialist realism. Rumens in a way is doing the same here; she’s keeping the concept of the place positive regardless of what the reality of the country is. “Child’s vocabulary” could not only hint to Akhmatova but another of Rumens favourites: Mandelshtam, another Russian poet who was in fact a political emigrée being exiled due to some of his poetry including ‘stalin epigram’ to a correction camp where he died. This may help explain Rumens’ use of negative imagery throughout the poem such as ‘dark’, ’death’, ‘tyrants’ as if she will be accused in a similar way to Mandelshtam, highlighting a sense of oppression which forces the ‘emigree’ to cling onto the positive view of their country and hold it stable like a ‘filled paperweight’. The political exile of Mandelshtam may also convey how the speaker is ‘the emigree’ to her own country; she still lives there, however she doesn’t recognise it anymore. It has been transformed by the totalitarian rule of the ‘tyrants’ who oppresses and makes the speaker feel like an exile in her own country. This is explicit through the use of contrasting mix of positive and negative imagery and the ambiguity present in ‘they accuse me of absence’ suggesting ‘they’ may refer to the same country as in the speaker’s ‘memory’ but she is made to be like a foreigner in this country because of the oppressive nature of the new government. However, Rumens refuses to accept the change just like the two Russian poets who refuse to accept the Stalin rule of Russia. Although we see some negative elements in ‘The Emigree’, it is widely positive to reflect the idea that otherwise it may consequently lead to her own death, like that of Mandelshtam. Note: The first para is an edited version of Katie Glover's comment.

[@IsobelTigerlily]

Perhaps you could also say that the image of the paperweight on one hand suggests the memory of her old city and identity provided stability and support, but on the other hand may suggest her to feel weighed down/restrained by the memory, as she is constantly longing for a home she is unable to return to, and that is very different from her idyllic memory now anyway?

[@destiny-powerhouse3260]

pupils don't realise the advantage of ambiguity in poems. It allows for multiple connotations to be inferred which gives you more to write about.

[@Ragibling]

Wow, you took my literature grade from a 5 to a 7. Thanks!!

[@mrbruff]

+Ragibling great!

[@pyaarnirvair1487]

Just some information to help you understand the last stanza of the poem "They accuse my of absence, they circle me." Usually the reason why you leave a beloved country is due to war, the ones who leave are saved, but the ones to remain will suffer. Soon you return when the political problems have settled, and again claim the city as your own but the people who stayed there through good times as well as the bad times will claim that that person who left, the emigrant, does not deserve it back. Emigrants escape conflict, the ones that remain fight it, often people that escape it will wonder whether it is right for them to have left, they will own less power going back as they did not take part in that political conflict and fully comprehended the pain. This can be related to conflict between people which causes suffering but everytime, due to the power of the memories which this place brings, the location ends up being more powerful that the people ruining it, but still, the human conflict remains. Just like In Storm On The Island, where it is inferred that conflict of humanswill continue through the cyclical structure of half rhymes, but still, the people will know that stronger than their conflict is their place (the storms it brings). That's just one way to see it. Both poems have multiple, extended interpretations.

[@wilmslowbathrooms1437]

Could the paperweight also be symbolic of how her opinions of the place are held down and not able to leave or escape, they will always be her feelings for the place and although conflict will try to force her and oppress her down like a paperweight does with paper that lighter, purer things than paper will always rain free such as her feelings for the place.

[@armandasc]

I thought that too

[@amorevlious]

Her mind might be stable, which brings her head into a clear state so that she could do everything easily without a problem reinforcing her. But later on she talks about tyranny and negativity. This could mean that her mind is blurred with negativity and she might be afraid of going out of her city which she loves the most and as it is her childhood city. She would like to live in that city if she grows up. The childish manner in stanza 3 could explain the fact that she is being blurred by negative imagery and positive imagery which ironically shows that it isn’t the city that’s lying down. It’s her mind seeing that the city is lying down. This might bring her worry, pain and overthinking that she might lose her childhood city.

[@amorevlious]

Rumens shows the power of love and childhood is really overtaking than war and tyranny. That power of love means that you are afraid of your loved ones gone or your childhood city is being destroyed and brought to the ground. The mind is really thoughtful that the person fears that the city will become a lost city and lost its culture along the way. Rumens travels a lot in Eastern Europe which explains that she might have seen some lost cities in her travelling. She can imagine what it feels like to lose your childhood home but having to move because of political reasons.

[@bemsy4425]

The emigree is still a better love story than twilight

[@sofiaa1945]

the comments are my entertainment through this treacherous journey of aqa literature 😆😆😂😂😭

[@GooseWithAPassport]

@@sofiaa1945 Vaild.

[@kamilafayzieva3030]

The metaphor "as time rolls its tanks" may be alluding to the Russian revolution. As stated in a previous video, Rumens was inspired by Russian poets and writers such as Akhmetova, who experienced pre-revolutionary Russia and Post-revolutionary Russia. The "tanks" may be symbolising the war Akhmetova experienced and the simile "close like waves" may reference the speakers desperation to preserve true culture, and to fight against a greater power, much like Akhmetova. Furthermore, the comparison on "waves" is interesting, as they are constantly ebbing and flowing. This may be a physical representation of the speaker loosing her identity as a form of power is trying to strip her from it, but her passion will not let her identity go, which may be when waves rise to the shore. The verb "close" shows her desperation to preserve her individuality and this is emphasised through "spills a grammar" which shows she cannot contain who she is or what her beliefs are, even if she tries. "Spills" has connotations to being reckless however it is juxtaposed with precise vocabulary such as "molecule", which may show her detailed thoughts and control of her life, highlighting the importance of individuality.

[@rubygemlloyd]

One idea I had... "frontiers rise between us, close like waves." This is ambiguous because the poet hasn't specifically described the motion of the waves. The waves might be gentle and calm, creating a positive image, or the waves could be crashing down and violent, creating a sense of danger and chaos.

[@asp1123]

Ruby Lloyd what theme would you link this to?

[@ihaptix2583]

Class of 2020 where ya’ll at

[@samsumg-hc4pm]

not here i leave 2023

[@GooseWithAPassport]

class of 2021, close though ;-;

[@malignusvonbottershnike563]

Until recently, i thought I was bad at English, and that other people in my class had so much more insight than me. Now I know why; I wasn't watching enough Mr Bruff! Nothing gets past this fella, honestly!

[@meg3587]

I kinda see all the personification in the poem showing how childlike the poet/narrator is acting. This would then link back to the "I left it as a child" showing us that her memories are a child like verion. Just like children with their toys, she brought her city to life inside her imagination. This would also link onto the idea of the poem being like a fairy tail, showing us how the Free verse comes into effect. The opening line "There once was a city..." is evidence for this. Finally because this poem is typically about a female, hence the female spelling of Emigree, the quotation, "Comb its hair and love its shining eyes" shows us that the narrator/poet is acting like a young girl playing with dolls and combing their hair. This would then give us the idea that, just like dolls and toys, she can change her memories of her personifyed city so that its always ' an impression of sunlight' I rest my case

[@thatbookbloke]

What is a fairy tail?

[@samuelboiten9061]

honestly these videos are saving my english grade with the whole quarantine thing going on, thanks a load sir! you're a legend

[@via45]

I also think the repetition of 'sunlight' is like the speakers way of trying to remember and retain the distant memory of her childhood city, symbolising her internal conflict as she is gradually forgetting what gives her power, and almost losing her identity. Which could be similar to which of a parent who has 'abandoned' their child for a better life, the speaker keeping the memory of her family strong and close at heart.

[@ClareKix]

Examples of light in the poem Stanza 1: 'sunlight-clear,' 'bright, filled paperweight' and 'branded by an impression of sunlight' (3) Stanza 2: 'the white streets' and 'tastes of sunlight' (2) Stanza 3: 'my shadow falls as evidence of sunlight' (1) You can see that the 'light' fades as she gets further to the end of the poem (there are less descriptions of it). Can you say that this suggests her idealised and imaginary picture is not real and she remembers what it was actually like?

[@lgcookie1933]

I like to think the narrator is trying to fuse together this idea of a mother leaving her child when they are very young. There is an ambiguity of how the narrator 'left it as a child', where perhaps the narrator could be saying she left the country when it was a child, rather than she was a child when she left the country. Then, like a parent leaving their child, it is brought up in violence in the absence of their parent. The poet could be suggesting the country, or 'child', despises their parent and 'accuses' the parent of 'absense', yet a parent's love never leaves its child. It is also evident that the poet is presenting her country as a child by giving it certain features of a child, by the way it 'hides' behind the narrator. I'm not great at writing essays but there's one interpretation

[@samanthac2663]

Leah Greaves I love this !

[@lgcookie1933]

Sam C aww thanks I don't usually make good points this made my day!

[@matyashale6768]

This is actually a super interesting concept! I have an interpretation for stanza 3 if you are at all interested (seeing as your alternative interpretation is very justifiable) [read on if you want to see it] The final stanza shows hints of racism- considering Rumen has travelled abroad she would not be uneducated on the issue of white and/or western supremacy. The city coming to her in 'its own white plane' immediately describes the city as literally white, almost eerily innocent, and this eery innocence is stretched out when (as Mr Bruff mentioned) the city "lies down", almost apologising for its morals. Of course, "docile as paper" not only reinforces this sense of obedience by the city to its new leaders, and "paper" as we know it is, in fact, white. The "paperweight" earlier mentioned may not just be literally weighing the speaker down to stay in her city, but it may be her attempt to suppress the people in the city- attempting to pull them down. When she goes onto say that they "circle [her] for being dark in their free city" the racism begin to shine through (no pun intended); animals to which we associate freedom with are doves- which once again are white. Being dark in a white city is an accusable crime, to which she feels all the more self-conscious over. "My shadow" finally re-emphasises how dark she feels, especially to the city to which she so often referred the "sunshine" to.

[@lgcookie1933]

Mátyás Hale this is certainly a very well thought out point... Very much worth it as well! I see where you're coming from - perhaps the Caesura could also emphasise the distance between the black and white cultures? Although they are living in the same city they are quite separated (unnaturally so, too)... this is also emphasised by that line 'the frontiers rise between us'. Just a little extra point to add on there :)

[@matyashale6768]

Leah Greaves I was talking to my friend and she said that it's very much a point which could be well argued at A level, but unfortunately at GCSE I won't have the time (45 minutes) in the exam to talk about it since it's so far fetched from what any of the questions could ask..l unless they ask something along the lines of "power of people" or "conflict of people"... what's your opinion? (I also told her your point and she said it's much more worthy to write in an exam).

[@stevenash2869]

Genuinely a hero :D my poetry teacher just reads through the poem a few times and refuses to give us any mainstream viewpoints and gives the disconnected 'exclusive' ideas that other teachers don't give as they are usless xD

[@iraqileen]

hi, another thing to note, especially when comparing poems (for example w COMH) is that whilst the maternal pattern of language in the emigree shows us that the country is dependent on the speaker, in COMH, the speaker seems to be dependent on his identity and desperate to reclaim it, which is a really easy comparative point to talk about!!!

[@jen.schubertt3539]

Again with the repeated theme of sunlight throughout the poem, “sunlight” does have positive connotations, hence why we see her deeming this unnamed place in such high regards, however “sunlight” also can connotations of life- this place is where she was born, it gave her life, and it was where she began her childhood; a time where she didn’t have to feel the burdens of war or discrimination, therefore consolidating WHY she deems the place in such high regards, (as we can also compare it to her current life, where ‘they accuse me, circle me’ etc) it is a part of who she is. She is “branded” by is, branded being a metaphor for her nationality “branded by sunlight” she is forever different from those around her, as she was born when this place was peaceful, and not at war. Here, Rumens is trying to convey the message that we must not exactly pity those who are given the title ‘Emigrée’ but try to understand them, and their love for their countries, for it is their place of solace: where everything began, and they deserve to be proud of who they are, and where they come from.

[@ScholarofProspero]

Mr Bruff, My english teacher loves your videos and for good reason

[@mrbruff]

Please thank your teacher for me!

[@ralu7106]

This honestly helped so much I was sitting on one question for 30 minutes cause the wording was a proper waffle

[@mrbruff]

Glad to help!

[@Sara-qo2ng]

man you're a literal genius thank you so much. I went into this video not expecting to understand much since im struggling so much in set one English but you made it so clear and I actually really like this poem now. Carol rumen's poetry really is beautiful. thanks :)))

[@vitalgravitygaming2607]

From November mocks to Mini-mocks you've brought me from a 4 to a 6! Hoping now to push higher with these videos :D

[@mrbruff]

Well done!

[@nathft4480]

Rumens presents a speaker enchanter by memory and happiness.:"The white streets of the city.the graceful slopes glow".A sense of nostalgia and feeling of happiness is explored through the verb "glow" presents the speaker reminiscing in her new city and also implies the contrast between light and dark in the poem. This sense of idyllic is further reinforced by the repetition of "sunlight" as the final word of each stanza.This suggests feeling of perfection,innocence and happiness as the speaker retrospectively recalls her memories from childhood.Lastly,the regular stanza length may be reflected in the order of chaos for the speaker in her new city as her love for she city shines like "sunlight" which presents the power of nature as an extended metaphor of happiness. GSCE students in year 11 trying to get a 9.Come back to this comment if i do

[@raziakhatun933]

I do GCSE history and had a thought that perhaps Rumens could be talking about The Soviet Union especially if she did travel there as well as Eastern Europe. The quote ‘city of walls’ just randomly reminded me of the iron curtain across Europe. The tyrants could be the leaders such as Stalin who branded Communism as beautiful and so the emigree is from Russia and she has been branded with an impression of sunlight. Idk lol I was just interested in the fact she visited Russia and Eastern Europe.

[@Saltfare]

Good luck tomorrow everyone

[@kavis4189]

I think that the reason why stanza 1 and 2 are 8 lines long, and then stanza 3 is 9 lines long is because this is the stanza when she expressing the love, ownership and need to care for her old city. Her feelings of love towards it disrupt the order (of stanza length and of her feelings) she's trying to make.

[@vocalarl]

wow this helped me get through my challenging revision for my gcse's, you are amazing and these grade 9 analysis' are amazing and i love how you do this to help us all. THANK YOUUUUUU

[@joshuabell-king453]

I feel like another theme could be exile as the subsequent quotes suggest: ‘émigrée’, ‘I left it as a child’, ‘the frontiers rise between us’, ‘there’s no way back’, ‘I have no passport’. Perhaps this mysterious and now unreachable city the speaker recollects is meant to represent the past, to which they can’t return to. A repeated comparison like this, which runs through the poem. This i think is known as an extended metaphor.

[@scorpiogirl205]

I think this could compare with Checking Out Me history because of the "dem tell me" and the "they accuse me of absence"

[@user-lj4jn8dv5b]

M4HN00R no, not really Checking out me history is all about being blinded to your own culture and only being taught in side of history The emigreé is all about having to leave your country due to political reasons What would really compare would be the poem “London”

[@gasknight]

I am an Immigrant (former migrant actually, four international moves before 12) and this poem reminds me exactly of my home country(USA). I can still remember my trek to and from school before i moved and it feels like a nice dream. It has now gone to absolute mayhem now though. A puppet president, who cannot even stand, school shootings, ridiculous laws being made that should have never even needed to be made, But I only remember it as playing Minecraft on my friends Xbox 360 with pizza rolls and Kool-Aid, playing cops and robbers on the playground, and climbing trees.

[@samuelaronobiwankenobirobe6231]

The beauty of her city still remains with her, even after country has been overrun by tyrants. This could link to, ‘Tissue’, which also talks about how the power of nature, is better, or more powerful than the power of man or humans. (we know tissues is talking about the power of nature being better, or more powerful than the power of man, by the metaphors of sunlight, which is natural, braking through buildings and maps, which represent man’s achievements and power.)

[@sarahstubs3420]

A sort of "beauty prevails" theme - I love it! Thank you:) And sunlight is used as a metaphor for beauty in both...

[@NoikyR]

thanks

[@tomconway2666]

Great video, supports me a lot in note writing. Thanks!

[@ameliahorne1688]

Thank you so much for your help will be coming back and back to this!

[@mrbruff]

+Amelia Horne no problem. All 15 poems covered too

[@matthewstevens340]

"Branded by an Impression" shows the double impression; one with a more positive and one with a more negative connotation. "Impression" shows a freedom/moulding, while "branded" could reference the forced knowledge, like the branding of criminals in the older days. This idea is mirrored in the second stanza; "can't get it off my tongue." could show awe (like in the prelude: 'huge peak, black and huge") or the cutting off of tongues in harsh regimes to stop free speech. the juxtapositions really bring 2 sides to the poem. (written in front of a beach on holiday when I decide to revise poetry :) )

[@mrbruff]

+Matt Plays nice ideas

[@zuzanna2188]

I was thinking the,"white plane" could've been a metaphor for postcards maybe, considering later she uses words like 'comb' and 'love' implying a strong emotional bond. One you could get from a relative sending you a postcard from a war stricken or unsafe country.

[@leannenewman2415]

I feel as though the narrator reminisces in order to search for her long lost identity. The first line reminds me heavily of once upon a time or something along those lines which adds a childlike pretence to the poem, as we know she later leaves as a child. Her naivety through believing what she is told in line 4 also would indicate this, that our narrator is transported back to being a child and is very reluctant to let go through her battle throughout the poem of reality and memory. "every coloured molecule" would also suggest that like a child she is drawn to colour and would only select it, perhaps colour being representative of the good, so leaving behind the dark molecules that are black and negative.

[@yasinmorsy2837]

' bright filled paperweight '. As well as showing stability etc, the use of the adjective bright suggests calmness and peace which may reflect the speakers feeling towards the place. Even though all the negativity, the speaker has heard, her thought and memory remains calm. Just an idea :)

[@liononfire6838]

I was thinking something similar.. maybe she's trapping all of her positive childhood memories inside the "bright filled paperweight" and almost blocking out or rejecting any negativity from entering the paperweight.

[@jessculverwell]

the repetition of "white" e.g "white plane" and "white streets of that city" could foreshadow how the city she moved from is now safe from war and is at peace

[@officerchad1213]

Hey you reached 100k, congrats Mcbuff

[@Rythyll]

Thank you Mr Bruff!! This video was really useful

[@mrbruff]

You're welcome!

[@maddiemccarthy8837]

Have you done a 2 minute form and structure video on 'The Emigree', 'Storm on the island' 'War Photographer' or 'charge of the light brigade'? Because I can't seem to find any of them?

[@Harry-fi3to]

OPENING 'The Emigree' is a harrowing poem where Rumers portrays to readers both the reality of war placed on the individual, but also the psychological conflict of identity connected to place. Immediately we can discern how the speaker perceives this 'bright' place as idyllic and almost hyperbolically dream-like in its positivity, ultimately contrasting this with the war lexicon, to reveal the piteous effects of war, leaving victims unable to comprehend but accept the reality of their country 'sick with tyrants'.

[@ramanman9792]

Would you say these videos represent everything I need to know about each poem to achieve a grade 7-9 Or do I need to learn more conventions about the poems

[@marcomann60]

Could you argue that by describing the city as a lover and by describing its body parts Rumens employs the blason or blasons it (if 'blason' is a verb)

[@ralphmortimer8473]

Mr buff , do you have any predictions about what the GCSE exams may be on for poems and Jekyll and Hyde ? thx btw for the good videos

[@louisvanek495]

not ozymandias as that was the mock for a lot of people

[@Thomas-be1kz]

louis van Ek still can make a comparison tho.... thankfully..

[@harisqurashi]

I predict it will be poppies/kamikaze or exposure

[@RBS.10]

Hussain Qurashi poppies was on the mock so idk

[@ASIMC9]

This guy is an analysis legend

[@Neofung87]

i love studying a day before an exam

[@jesslane5006]

I think the quote "in its own white plane" represents the journey she had to endure to leaving the place and the emigration to another

[@trinidemships]

Could "I have no passport, there's no way back at all" suggest that she could be an illegal immigrant or that she can't travel back to her past?

[@aktharhossain7698]

trinidemships '

[@anthonystarkey1707]

Thanks Mr Bruff!!

[@mrbruff]

+Fatal Godzz no problem

[@heyitshelin]

I'm not sure about my analysis but during the enjambent "that child's vocabulary I carried here like a hollow doll" link to the fact that the sentence actully aslo has been "carried" on to the next line?

[@heyitshelin]

Thank you so much sweetie!

[@nics-gf2rc]

i thought that the idea of the paperweight also is an idea of something to hold her memories of the place the speaker is from close to her and to not lose them

[@roberte-s2628]

I could set up a waffle shop with my annotated anthology

[@samsumg-hc4pm]

lets get bruff to 1 mil by end of yr

[@dariuspalmer2829]

What poems in the power and conflict category is good to compare the 'Emigree' with?

[@hannahrae8035]

Poppies would work

[@theabzfiles]

I would suggest comparing it with 'Tissue', as the anthology provided by AQA has comparable poems next to each other. Furthermore, 'Tissue' ha a similar structure, where there is a continuous conflict, along with it being an extended metaphor. But that is how I interpreted it, as it is also ambiguous, which could be mentioned in the introduction of the essay, comparing this poem and 'Tissue'.

[@georgiastencel9735]

For me, it depends on the question. If you are looking at identity, then I would say 'Checkin' Out Me History' because both poems have some sort of anger towards how their identity has been taken from them. Although, if you were looking at power in general, you could compare 'The Emigree' with 'Tissue' as you can argue that both poems look at the power of humans.

[@dariuspalmer2829]

Thanks

[@theabzfiles]

DJPALMER DJPALMER NP

[@umar3718]

What does it mean by divisions rise between where the speaker currently lives and where she used to live

[@jennaw1151]

Can you mix structure and language analysis so to say? For example, would mentioning the placement of sunlight and the language effect of it in the same paragraph/point be acceptable?

[@iputcatintoster1922]

what theme would this poem come under? power of humans?

[@bb-ur1mj]

Please may you discuss themes such as memory with this poem?

[@sxam1793]

In the last stanza when she says their free city is she talking about the new city she has moved to?

[@evap-f4r]

does this apply for belonging anthology too?

[@jessieblac9242]

so what would be the message of the poem not to be stupid? and would anyone happen to have three big ideas

[@nooribrahim7868]

I think in the final stanza the narrator is talking about the city she is in now, as opposed to her city. They accuse her of absence in "their free city", but the narrator has already acknowledged that her city is full of tyrants and isn't free. Rather she's talking about the place she's fled to.

[@asmamanik7512]

Sunlight as freedom as it sees no frontiers

[@markmccusker1681]

What would you do in an exam if there is nothing notable about the form, but you need form to get the highest marks?

[@mrbruff]

I've talked about this numerous times: if there is nothing to write about form (a number of the poems don't follow a specific form) then you won't lose marks. Similarly, you should only analyse form in the exam if it is relevant to your question. The number one thing is answering the question.

[@Lucas-qh9hn]

Cheers Buff for explaining it more then my teacher did lol doing my exam tomorrow and this helps! Keep it up 😄

[@robmosley6740]

I feel like line 13-15 could be inspired by the regime of General Franco in Spain where he banned the use of regional tongues and executed anyone who he or his police found speaking them.

[@danieldyszkant3245]

In my opinion Stalin had a far superior regime to Franco, and this related much more to the emireaddde

[@BeardBarians]

I think the city is Childhood, and whatever happens, you feel good about it when you grow up.

[@yenxion1713]

I think this poem may represent the power of tyrants and how they can dominate and control our lives (link to Ozymandias's power) however it could also be interpreted as a lack of power to the narrator (possible link to Kamikaze). Maybe you could see it as a conflict poem and the effects of conflict and how it can take away places we love and cause our special places to become diseased and plagued with evil and suffering. Interesting poem. Wish me luck in my poetry finals next Friday :D

[@oliviaelliott1333]

Is an hour and a half revision per poem enough?:)

[@maxdaniels4326]

hope so because i hate poetry haah

[@xanderdurrant9258]

Mr Buff when you say "she loves this place" are you referring to the country she had to leave not the place she is at now?

[@samanthac2663]

Fleur Durrant the country she had to leave ☺

[@xanderdurrant9258]

Sam C Thank you ☺

[@helenym1238]

When talking about caesura and enjambmemt how would you give them as evidence when writing an essay

[@xdtv3132]

Helenym123 don’t need to just say it

[@user-lj4jn8dv5b]

XDTV you do have to give evidence

[@kronkite1530]

Re. the uncertainty over 'They'... surely 'they' are the city walls, personified (so perhaps also referencing the invaders and their threat) that encircle her as she dances through the streets in her imagined visit - and accuse her of abandoning the city, though she has no choice in reality, just in her mind and words. And cast a shadow that emphases the comparison between her imagined memory of the city in the past and its present state. Perhaps also a link to propaganda - that the tyrants have twisted things and accuse her of being in the wrong, very much like the Communist propaganda claims of Soviet Europe? Her shadow clashes with this and casts light on its plight. And the truth.

[@luizadenes2939]

would you be able to do videos on short stories ?

[@rubyatkins5419]

i have a question on memory in 'my last duchess' and i want to compare it to this poem is it the right choice.

[@samuelboiten9061]

@@user-lj4jn8dv5b i dunno, i think it could work! both poems have themes of control and chaos, and they have two different views on memory, so they could work together

[@shakilaishaq1798]

sir are the first two stanzas called octave?

[@ababenyi6013]

Hi, can you do some videos on unseen poems too? Your videos are extremely helpful

[@mrbruff]

+Aba Benyi in my literature playlist

[@joshuabiju1811]

is the form of this poem in blank verse

[@mrbruff]

+Joshua Biju that's a structure point

[@MeowMeow-xj8yz]

What does 'arresting imagery' mean? Thank you xxx

[@mrbruff]

+Meow Meow attention grabbing

[@joehindley6185]

Could it be possible this is an extended metaphor for mental illness or am I over thinking it?

[@iqraajalil8652]

Joe Hindley the descriptions seem to be from the perspective of a child, suggesting that she is not capable of interpreting the situation as an adult. This could be due to a mental illness, however "war" is mentioned and so are "tyrants" so it could suggest that the narrator does know what's happening, but they just don't want to accept it. The 2 different interpretations of the place could suggest that the narrator has some form of split personality disorder. You could talk about internal conflict with this maybe?

[@zaynabnessa8579]

does anyone know the theme, plz reply asap

[@etamag7514]

The main themes for this poem are loss and absence, memory, identity, power of place (as expained in the vid) and power of love