The Emigree: Key Quotes and Analysis
Ever wondered what it feels like to remember a place as perfect when everyone else says it's terrible? That's exactly what happens in this powerful poem about emigration and memory.
The speaker's memories are described as "sunlight-clear" - she remembers only brightness and warmth from her childhood home. This metaphor of sunlight shows how her positive memories act like an indestructible force that nothing can shake. The phrase "I am told" reveals she was too young to really understand her country's problems, creating tension between her rose-tinted memories and harsh reality.
When others criticise her homeland, saying "it may be sick with tyrants," she dismisses these concerns. The word "sick" suggests her country needs healing rather than criticism, whilst "branded by an impression of sunlight" shows how deeply these positive memories are burnt into her identity - they're literally part of who she is.
The threatening atmosphere builds as "They accuse me... They circle me." The undefined pronoun "they" could mean the government or local population, making her feel like a hunted outsider. Yet she finds strength knowing "My city hides behind me" - her homeland still supports her, even from afar.
Key insight: Rumens never names the specific country, making this poem universal - it speaks for anyone who's ever had to leave their homeland behind.