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me, by Warsan Shire (British-Somali poet) no one leav. s home unless home is the mouth of a shark.you only run for the border w. en you see the whole city running as well.your neighbours running faster than you, the boy you went to school with who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory is holding a gun bigger than his body, you o.
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‘Home’ by Warsan Shire describes the tragic journey of refugees in search of safety, shelter, and relief from the tremulous situation of their native country. In this poem, the speakerdescribes the situation that makes one leave their dear country, home, and belongings. When the big shark-like countrymen hunt down others, bloodthirsty and ferocious...
Stanza One
Shire says, “no one,” literally nobody leaves “homes,” unless they are forced. When the home turns out to be the mouth of the shark. The sharp teeth of the shark’s mouth never differentiate between small or apparently bigger fish. It engulfs them all. Likewise, when the people become bloodthirsty, they can’t see who’s their own. At such difficult times, people have to flee their homes with their lives in their hands. The barbed wire of the border becomes their sole goal. Anyhow they have to r...
Stanza Two
In the second stanza, the speaker describes how the neighbors become competitors in a life-and-death game. It seems everyone is running faster to save their lives. The heavy breathing caused by nonstop running spills blood into their throats. In the following line, the speaker shares one intimate memory. There was a boy she kissed behind the old tin factory. On the day of fleeing, he holds a big gun to kill whoever crosses his path. In such a situation, one has to leave home. The people, they...
Stanza Three
The third stanza begins with the same phrase, “no one leaves home unless,” reminding the audience of the main idea of the poem. In this section, Shire personifies“home,” chasing the people away. She describes the tremulous situation by the phrase, “fire under feet.” It means they cannot stand in their own country for a second. They have to run until they are alive. The “hot blood in your belly” seems to be a hint at a pregnant woman. She has to run with another life residing in her womb. No o...
‘Home’ is a free-verse monologue of a speaker, representing the refugees. There is no regular rhyme or meter in the poem. However, there is a rhyme in the last words of the poem, “anywhere” and “here.” Shire uses the second-person pronouns “you” and “your” in order to describe the plight of refugees. She shifts from the voice of the refugees to tha...
Shire uses a number of literary devices in ‘Home’ that include: 1. Repetition: The narrator often uses the term “home” throughout the poem. On one hand, this idea represents the love of the refugees for their motherland. On the other hand, this idea reminds them of the dangers and troubles of their own country that made them flee. Besides, there is...
The important themes of Shire’s ‘Home’ include the suffering of refugees, immigration, racism, and helplessness. In this long narrative, Shire throws light on the journey of the refugees from their homeland to a different country. She describes their lived experiences from the perspective of one such immigrant. Another recurring motifin the poem is...
Served as the first Young Poet Laureate for London and the youngest member of the Royal Society of Literature, Warsan Shire’s poetry gives voice to the marginalized, immigrants, and refugees. She was born in Kenya to Somali parents in 1988. At the age of one, they migrated to the UK. As a first-generation immigrant, she uses her poetry to connect w...
Here is a list of a few poems that similarly tap on the themes present in Warsan Shire’s poem ‘Home.’ 1. ‘Immigration’ by Ali Alizadeh— This poem explores the emotional and mental toll immigration takes. 2. ‘The Émigrée’ by Carol Rumens— This piece pictures childhood idealization and the miserable situation of the refugees. 3. ‘Deportation’ by Caro...
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Nov 20, 2023 · Warsan Shire’s “Home”. Shire wrote “Conversations about home (at a deportation centre)” in 2009, a piece inspired by a visit she made to the abandoned Somali Embassy in Rome which some young refugees had turned into their home.
Jun 18, 2024 · The poem highlights the tension between the two characters, with the wife feeling alone in her grief and the speaker trying to rationalize their loss. As the poem states, “She let him look, sure that he wouldn’t see, / Blind creature; and awhile he didn’t see” (Lines 15-16).
Home Burial. By Robert Frost. He saw her from the bottom of the stairs. Before she saw him. She was starting down, Looking back over her shoulder at some fear. She took a doubtful step and then undid it. To raise herself and look again. He spoke.
Mar 13, 2017 · Home Lyrics. no one leaves home unless. home is the mouth of a shark. you only run for the border. when you see the whole city running as well. your neighbours running faster than you. breath...
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What is Shire's poem 'Conversations about home' about?
Why did Warsan Shire write home?
What is the theme of the poem 'home' by Warsan Shire?
Why does the narrator use the term “home” in the poem?
What is a poem about a child buried in a house?
Who wrote the poem “Home Burial”?
Aug 30, 2023 · Lines 1 to 17: This poem is a story about a couple who have lost their only child, a son. The child is buried on the premises of their house. Amy, the mother of the child is a highly emotional person, and she takes the bereavement very much to her heart and is therefore mentally disturbed.
