“Refugee Blues” is a documentation of the denial of the human rights of the migrant population
of the world. Discuss.
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Answer:
"Refugee Blues " is a poem written by poet W.H.Auden. This poem presents before the readers the misery, the hardships faced by the migrant population. This poem particularly focuses on the exploitation of the Jewish community by German 'Dictator' Adolf Hitler. The Jews are turned out of their country by Hitler. They have nowhere to go. They are saying that in the country(Germany), if there are ten million people, some of them are rich living in extravagant mansions while some are poor living in small cottages but there is no place for the Jews there whether they are rich or poor. They are saying that they still have their own country but they cannot go there. Their passports are old enough to let them into the country . They are saying that in contrast to the old yew tree that grows in the village church yard and renews its leaves every spring, the old passports cannot renew themselves. Since their passports are not renewed the consul proclaimed them officially dead. But they are alive,dear! The persons went to the commitee but they said them to come the next year. They are asking with a sigh of misery and gloom that where shall they go now?
When the German Jews went to the public meeting, the chairperson of the meeting declared that. if they let the Jews enter the country, they will steal their bread.
Suddenly the speaker heard the thunder rumbling in the sky. He compares this to the voice of Hitler who wants to kill the people of Jewish race. His hellish cruelty prompts him to say-"They must die.". The speaker saw a poodle fastened to the jacket of his owner with a pin. The master of a cat opened the door and let the car in. The germans loved the animals but they did not love the Jews. They will never let a Jew live in their homes.The speaker went to the harbour and stood at the pier. He saw that the fishes were swimming freely. He regrets that the fishes are also free to move about but the Jews weren't. They were not at all allowed to move more than ten feet away from the refugee camp. While passing through the woods he saw the birds who were independent. They sang and they flew and enjoyed. He says that they had no politicians among them who were hungry of power and killed men . He says that it is the human race who are actually greedy and could not tolerate the good of other people. The speaker dreams of a building with thousands of floors . It had thousand of windows and doors but not one of the rooms belonged to the Jewish people. They had no right to live there. They are standing on a great plain covered with snow. Snowfall was occuring, winds were blowing very fast. Through this setting the poet portrays the scene of misery that the Jews were going through at that time.They saw soldiers who were Hitler's soldiers. They were marching to and fro in search of jews and then they would take them to the vegas chamber of hitler where they would be killed by the release of poisonous gases. This shows that how the migrant population in German were denied the human rights by Adolf Hitler. They had nowhere to go, nothing to eat, they are always afraid of being killed by Hitler. Such a miserable condition cannot be described by words unless experienced by one. Such a pain! Oh!
Hence, it can be concluded from the discussion that the poem "Refugee Blues" by W.H.Auden portrays the denial of human rights to the migrant population.