NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English (Woven Words) Poetry 9 Refugee Blues

Class : 11th Subject : English Chapter : 9 Chapter Name : Refugee Blues Q1 The title, ‘Refugee Blues’ encapsulates the theme of the poem. Comment. Answer. The poem highlights the lost and horrible state of German Jewish people who had to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries due to the rise of Hitler and Nazism. The strict laws deprived them of their right to live, holocaust, concentration camps. Blues in the title refers to the musical genre that originated at the end of the 19th century and has a sad, melancholic tone, which is the tone of this poem. They sing of their agony and pain. Page : 131 , Block Name : Understanding the poem Q2 What is the poetic technique used by the poet to convey the plaintive theme of the poem? Answer. The technique used by the poet is a mix of blues and ballad . Auden had mixed the two together to bring out the main political situation which was prevalent at the time, and which showed the pathetic condition of Jewish refugees who were homeless and lived in constant fear of death. The first two lines of every stanza rhyme and the third line is repetitive represents the style of blues lyrics. The use of refrain is used to bring about the realization of the harsh truth of the narrator's and his lover's plight. Page : 131 , Block Name : Understanding the poem Q3 What do the references to the birds and animals made in the poem suggest?