Complete Summary and Solutions for Refugee Blues – Woven Words NCERT Class XI English Elective, Chapter 9

Introduction to Poetry - Woven Words

Poetry is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings beyond the prosaic. It often employs compressed expression, imagery, and sound devices to convey emotions, ideas, or narratives.

In the ‘lyric poem’ the focus is on personal emotion and introspection, as in Refugee Blues. The ‘narrative poem’ tells a story, while dramatic poetry imitates action. Auden’s Refugee Blues uses ballad form for narration, blending irony and pathos to address socio-political themes.

Poetry differs from prose in its economy and musicality. The limitation of form imposes precision in language and effects. However, a poem can attain complexity, approaching epic expansiveness.

Key Elements

Forms: Lyric (emotion), narrative (story), dramatic (action).
Devices: Imagery, rhythm, rhyme, metaphor in fantasy, realism, or satire.
Types: Ballad (simple narrative), sonnet (structured reflection).
Economy: Brevity demands concise imagery and layered meanings.

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Author: Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973)

Wystan Hugh Auden was a student and later a Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. One of the most important poets of the century, he has published several collections of poems noted for their irony, compassion and wit.

Although a modern poem, ‘Refugee Blues’ uses the ballad form of narration. Auden’s work often critiques social injustices, as seen in this poignant reflection on the plight of Jewish refugees during the rise of Nazism.

Major Works

Collections: The Orators, Another Time
Long Poems: The Age of Anxiety
Plays & Collaborations with Isherwood

Key Themes

Social injustice and exile
Love, politics, and human frailty
Irony in modern life

Style

Accessible yet profound; blends ballad tradition with contemporary satire, using refrain for emotional emphasis.

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Full Poem Text: Refugee Blues

Say this city has ten million souls, Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes: Yet there’s no place for us, my dear, yet there’s no place for us. Once we had a country and we thought it fair, Look in the atlas and you’ll find it there: We cannot go there now, my dear, we cannot go there now. In the village churchyard there grows an old yew, Every spring it blossoms anew: Old passports can’t do that, my dear, old passports can’t do that. The consul banged the table and said: ‘If you’ve got no passport you’re officially dead’; But we are still alive, my dear, but we are still alive. Went to a committee; they offered me a chair; Asked me politely to return next year: But where shall we go today, my dear, but where shall we go today? Came to a public meeting; the speaker got up and said: ‘If we let them in, they will steal our daily bread’; He was talking of you and me, my dear, he was talking of you and me. Thought I heard the thunder rumbling in the sky; It was Hitler over Europe, saying: ‘They must die’; We were in his mind, my dear, we were in his mind. Saw a poodle in a jacket fastened with a pin, Saw a door opened and a cat let in: But they weren’t German Jews, my dear, but they weren’t German Jews. Went down the harbour and stood upon the quay, Saw the fish swimming as if they were free: Only ten feet away, my dear, only ten feet away. Walked through a wood, saw the birds in the trees; They had no politicians and sang at their ease: They weren’t the human race, my dear, they weren’t the human race. Dreamed I saw a building with a thousand floors, A thousand windows and a thousand doors; Not one of them was ours, my dear, not one of them was ours. Went down to the station to catch the express, Asked for two tickets to Happiness; But every coach was full, my dear, every coach was full. Stood on a great plain in the falling snow; Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro: Looking for you and me, my dear, looking for you and me.

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Poem Summary: English & Hindi (Stanza-wise Overview)

English Summary

The poem laments the plight of Jewish refugees in Nazi-era Europe. Through a series of vignettes, the speaker contrasts the refugees' exclusion with the privileges of others: the city has space for all but them; their homeland is lost; nature renews while passports expire. Bureaucrats declare them "dead," committees delay aid, and speeches incite fear. Animals and nature enjoy freedoms denied to humans under tyranny. Dreams of refuge shatter; happiness is unattainable; soldiers hunt them relentlessly. The refrain "my dear" underscores intimate despair amid collective horror.

हिंदी सारांश (संक्षिप्त)

कविता नाजी युग में यहूदी शरणार्थियों की दुर्दशा पर शोक करती है। विभिन्न दृश्यों के माध्यम से, वक्ता शरणार्थियों के बहिष्कार की तुलना दूसरों की विशेषाधिकारों से करता है: शहर में सभी के लिए जगह है सिवाय उनके; उनका देश खो गया; प्रकृति नवीनीकृत होती है जबकि पासपोर्ट समाप्त। नौकरशाह उन्हें "मृत" घोषित करते; समितियां सहायता टालतीं; भाषण भय फैलाते। जानवर और प्रकृति स्वतंत्र हैं, मानव अत्याचार के अधीन नहीं। शरण के सपने टूटते; सुख दुर्लभ; सैनिक उनका पीछा करते। पुनरावृत्ति "मेरे प्रिय" सामूहिक भयावहता में व्यक्तिगत निराशा पर जोर देती।

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Poem Structure: Form & Technique

Overview

The poem uses ballad form: 12 quatrains with ABCB rhyme scheme, simple rhythm evoking folk songs. Refrain in each stanza's third line builds lamentation. Historical context: Written in 1939, protesting Jewish persecution pre-WWII.

Structure in Stanzas

Stanzas 1-3: Urban exclusion, lost homeland, nature's renewal vs. bureaucracy.
Stanzas 4-6: Institutional rejection, xenophobic rhetoric, Hitler's threat.
Stanzas 7-9: Animals' privilege, natural freedom, human politics' curse.
Stanzas 10-12: Architectural alienation, quest for happiness, militarized pursuit.

Points to Ponder

Symbolism: Passport = identity; yew tree = endurance; snow/soldiers = oppression.
Narrative Voice: First-person plural, intimate dialogue with "my dear."
Cultural Insight: Auden's leftist critique of fascism and apathy.

Tip: Ballad form's repetition amplifies blues-like melancholy.

Understanding the Poem

1. The title, ‘Refugee Blues’ encapsulates the theme of the poem. Comment.

Answer:

"Refugee Blues" merges displacement ("refugee") with melancholic jazz ("blues"), capturing the poem's core: exiled Jews' sorrowful lament under Nazi threat. The title evokes improvised, heartfelt outcry, mirroring the ballad's rhythmic repetition of despair.
It foreshadows irony— "blues" implies music's catharsis, yet refugees find no harmony, only exclusion. Auden uses it to humanize political tragedy, blending personal intimacy ("my dear") with collective anguish, making the abstract horror palpably emotional.
Thematically, it encapsulates alienation: refugees wander a world of plenty with "no place for us," their "blues" unheeded amid thriving life, critiquing global indifference to fascism's rise.

2. What is the poetic technique used by the poet to convey the plaintive theme of the poem?

Answer:

Auden employs ballad form with quatrains, ABCB rhyme, and refrain ("my dear, [repetition]") to mimic folk laments, creating rhythmic plaintiveness that echoes blues music's repetitive sorrow.
Juxtaposition amplifies pathos: refugees' plight against nature's renewal (yew tree), animals' ease (poodle, fish, birds), and urban abundance (city souls, thousand floors). This contrast heightens exclusion's sting.
Direct address and simple diction foster intimacy, while irony (e.g., "officially dead" yet "still alive") underscores bureaucratic cruelty, weaving a tapestry of quiet desperation.

3. What do the references to the birds and animals made in the poem suggest?

Answer:

Animals symbolize unburdened freedom: poodle enters freely, cat is welcomed, fish swim unbound, birds sing without politics—contrasting refugees' barred access despite humanity's supposed superiority.
They highlight irony: Non-humans enjoy privileges denied to persecuted people, critiquing how prejudice strips dignity. "They weren’t German Jews" bitterly notes arbitrary exclusion.
Broader suggestion: Nature's innocence indicts human society's flaws—tyranny, xenophobia—rendering refugees more vulnerable than beasts, evoking profound pathos.

4. How does the poet juxtapose the human condition with the behaviour of the political class?

Answer:

Auden contrasts refugees' vulnerability (lost country, expired passports) with politicians' callousness: consul declares them "dead," committees delay, speakers stoke fear ("steal our daily bread").
Hitler's thunderous decree ("They must die") versus refugees' quiet plea ("We are still alive") exposes power's dehumanization. Soldiers marching in snow embody militarized indifference.
This juxtaposition reveals political class's role in amplifying human suffering—bureaucracy and rhetoric as weapons—while ordinary humans (and animals) unwittingly partake in exclusion.

5. How is the essence of the poem captured in the lines ‘two tickets to Happiness’?

Answer:

These lines encapsulate futile aspiration: Refugees seek "Happiness" like a destination, but "every coach was full," symbolizing unattainable refuge amid global rejection.
Irony peaks—happiness as commodity, yet denied like seats—mirroring broader theme of exclusion. Refrain reinforces despair, distilling the poem's blues into one poignant, unreachable quest.
Essence: Human longing for security thwarted by systemic barriers, evoking universal pathos in specific historical tragedy.

Talking about the Text - Discussion Prompts

Discuss in pairs or small groups

1. How does ‘Refugee Blues’ reflect ongoing global refugee crises?

Discussion Points:

Auden's 1939 lament parallels modern displacements (Syria, Ukraine)—bureaucratic delays, xenophobic rhetoric echo today's borders closed to "them." Explore: Social media's role in amplifying or ignoring such "blues."
Refrain's intimacy humanizes statistics; discuss empathy gaps in policy vs. personal stories.
Broader: Irony of "no place" in abundant worlds—climate refugees today face similar "full coaches."
Personal: How can literature foster action against indifference?

2. The poem uses animals to critique humanity—relevance today?

Discussion Points:

Birds/animals' ease indicts politicized human suffering; today, pets in crises get aid while refugees wait—discuss privilege hierarchies.
Juxtaposition highlights absurdity: Why do non-humans "enter" when people can't? Tie to migration debates.
Consequences: Erodes dignity; solutions via art/activism to bridge divides.
Extension: Rewrite a stanza for contemporary refugees.

Appreciation & Analysis

1. Analyze the refrain's role in building emotional intensity.

Analysis:

Refrain ("my dear, [repetition]") creates hypnotic rhythm, personalizing collective woe—like a lover's whisper amid apocalypse, intensifying intimacy and isolation.
Repetition escalates despair: From "no place" to "looking for you and me," mirroring escalating threats.
Ballad technique evokes oral tradition, making political horror folkloric and timeless.

2. Discuss irony as a tool for social critique.

Analysis:

Situational irony: Passports "expire" while yew "blossoms"; refugees "alive" yet "officially dead"—exposes absurdity of bureaucracy.
Verbal: Speaker's polite queries vs. violent responses (Hitler's "thunder"); animals favored over humans.
Critique: Satirizes apathy—city's "ten million souls" ignore the hunted, urging readers to confront complicity.

3. How does the poem's structure enhance its ballad quality?

Analysis:

Quatrains with consistent rhyme/rhythm mimic singable laments, contrasting grim content for ironic detachment.
Progressive vignettes build narrative arc without resolution, evoking endless blues.
Modern twist: Political allusions ground folk form in urgency, amplifying protest.

4. The ending's imagery of soldiers—symbolic significance?

Analysis:

"Ten thousand soldiers marched to and fro" in "falling snow" evokes futile, mechanized hunt—snow buries hope, soldiers' repetition mirrors refrain's despair.
Climactic threat personalizes genocide: "Looking for you and me" shrinks horror to intimate terror.
Significance: Warns of impending doom (WWII), urging intervention; open end sustains unease.

Language Work

1. Devices in the Poem: Elaborate on Their Use

Refrain: Repeated lines ("my dear...") create musical lament, emphasizing exclusion and building emotional crescendo, like a blues chorus.

Pathos: Evokes pity through vignettes of loss (lost country, barred doors), intimate address heightening refugees' vulnerability.

Irony: Contrasts (animals free, humans hunted; "alive" yet "dead") satirizes prejudice and bureaucracy's cruelty.

Sarcasm: Bitter tone in "they will steal our daily bread" mocks xenophobia; "two tickets to Happiness" derides unattainable ideals.

2. The Colour ‘Blue’ in the Poem & Others

Answer:

Blue: Suggests melancholy, sadness (blues music); refugees' emotional state—cold, endless sorrow.
Other Colors: Red (anger, blood—Hitler's threat); White (purity, snow—oppression's blanket); Green (envy, nature's renewal denied).

Interactive Quiz - Test Your Understanding

10 MCQs on themes, structure, and devices. Aim for 80%+.

Complete Summary and Solutions for Refugee Blues – Woven Words NCERT Class XI English Elective, Chapter 9 – Summary, Explanation, Questions, Answers

A poignant poem by Wystan Hugh Auden addressing the plight of refugees, discrimination, and loss of homeland. Using the ballad form, the poem contrasts the freedom in nature with human suffering and societal rejection. It includes detailed NCERT questions, answers, and exercises for Class XI

Refugee Blues

Introduction to Poetry - Woven Words

Key Elements

Author: Wystan Hugh Auden (1907–1973)

Major Works

Key Themes

Style

Full Poem Text: Refugee Blues

Poem Summary: English & Hindi (Stanza-wise Overview)

English Summary

हिंदी सारांश (संक्षिप्त)

Poem Structure: Form & Technique

Overview

Structure in Stanzas

Points to Ponder

Understanding the Poem

1. The title, ‘Refugee Blues’ encapsulates the theme of the poem. Comment.

2. What is the poetic technique used by the poet to convey the plaintive theme of the poem?

3. What do the references to the birds and animals made in the poem suggest?

4. How does the poet juxtapose the human condition with the behaviour of the political class?

5. How is the essence of the poem captured in the lines ‘two tickets to Happiness’?

Talking about the Text - Discussion Prompts

1. How does ‘Refugee Blues’ reflect ongoing global refugee crises?

2. The poem uses animals to critique humanity—relevance today?

Appreciation & Analysis

1. Analyze the refrain's role in building emotional intensity.

2. Discuss irony as a tool for social critique.

3. How does the poem's structure enhance its ballad quality?

4. The ending's imagery of soldiers—symbolic significance?

Language Work

1. Devices in the Poem: Elaborate on Their Use

2. The Colour ‘Blue’ in the Poem & Others

Interactive Quiz - Test Your Understanding

Suggested Reading

Group Discussions