Entry 9 - Part 1: Writing Project- REFUGEES

 

We Refugees by Benjamin Zephaniah

The poem "We Refugees" written by Benjamin Zephaniah tells about people who had to flee or move from their countries due to different circumstances. It expresses issues such as discrimination, loss of culture, racism and the sense of freedom of expression and critical thinking. So I wonder to myself, why is there fear or discrimination if all the people in the world are intertwined for one reason or another?. In order to understand the subject, the sixth stanza says  "I come from a beautiful place where the valley is flooded every year and every year the hurricane tells us that we must keep moving forward", Benjamin discriminates one of the causes of being a refugee, it is clear that the reason by which people decide to leave their land vary according to the different situations that prevent them from progressing, or even more complicated, preserving their own lifes. Furthermore, in the fourth stanza, the author reflects on refugees and comes to the conclusion that everyone is a refugee at some point in life. Taking into account the history of each individual and their descendants, we all tend to be part of experiencing discrimination, abandonment of our culture, mixed feeling among others. Finally, the poem leads us to rethink that no one in the world is exempt from being a refugee, we all come from them, it is in history and that is why we all experience a change. After all, human history was built at one point by refugees.

Refugees by Brian Bilston

Brian Bilston poem "Refugees" offers a negative point of view towards people who have to flee or leave their countries of origin. In this case, he differentiates refugees from non-refugees by subtly persuading and emphasizing very unfavorable particularities. To begin with, the poem is nothing more than one stanza written in the third person of plural that seems to represent a sector of society that is indifferent to these circumstances. For example, at the beginning of the stanza ir reads "They don't need our help So don't tell me that these haggard faces could belong to you or me...". It could be said that society establishes a barrier between refugees highlighting inequality when it reads "...it is not okay to say that these people are just like us...". Of course I dare to say that these events are part or reality because the unknown or new tends to be rejected for the simple fact of generating fear and uncertainty. However, in most cases these events occur due to ignorance, lack of information or prejudice. To finish, I consider that the poem criticizes the society where it shows a fissure, on the one hand the refugees and on the other the people who do not agree to help them and believe, in some way, they are a superior race.

     This poem is a palindrome which means that it can be read both from top to bottom and from bottom to top. "Refugees" has two different perspectives, on the one hand it is pessimistic and on the other it is optimistic. In this opportunity, the reading of the poem will be analyzed from bottom up which has a totally opposite message to the previous analysis because they can be interpreted as addressing issues such as equality, empathy and solidarity. It could be said that the stanza is a criticism of people with lack of empathy but it also reinforces or affirms the ideal for those who are agree to help refugees. At the beginning of the stanza, it could be said that the author calls for non-discrimination when it reads "The world can be looked at another way Do not be so stupid to think that A place should only belong to those who are born there..." alluding to his intention to promote equality by questioning why people cannot live in a safe place even if it is not their place of origin. Of course empathy is essential and it is interesting the way it is carried out to reach the reader's perception, it makes us reflect and imagine on how terrible must be to be in a critical situation and it also refutes the prejudices that society imposes. Added to this, solidarity is another issue that allows us to rethink that no one is exempt from living a situation like this  and it concludes with "...These haggard faces could belong to you or me So do not tell me They have no need of our help.". Finally, I consider this poem represents society as a whole, with all the good and bad that goes with it. But above all, it makes us see that pride in the last expected moment can betray us.

Metacognitive analysis:

  After reading both "We Refugees" and "Refugees" poems, I have come to question over and over again why people are so apathetic to what is happening around them.

    It is true that there is a well-defined crack in society, but I also dare to say that slowly but continuously, these situations are being reversed as more and more people become aware of gravity while reflecting on gravity. itself.

  However, both Benjamin and Brian in their poems question the actions of society, since we all belong to the human race for what makes us equal. But I am also not unwise and I recognize that the media confuse and persuade individuals according to the political interests of each nation. That is why it is very important to be informed and achieve critical and autonomous thinking so as not to fall into media manipulation that only benefits a few.

   Refugees on an issue that concerns all human beings, land should not be worth more than a life and people should reconsider and show solidarity with those who need it most.