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General Introduction
"Home" by Warsan Shire is a powerful and evocative poem that delves into the profound and often harrowing experiences of refugees and migrants. The poem explores the forced displacement of people from their homes due to violence, persecution, and unbearable conditions. Shire, a Somali-British poet and writer, captures the visceral emotions and stark realities faced by those who flee their homelands in search of safety. Her words challenge readers to understand the depth of desperation that drives individuals to leave everything familiar behind and embark on perilous journeys.
"Home" by Warsan Shire
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 neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
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 only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilet
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
Analysis of "Home" by Warsan Shire
Title
The title "Home" is strikingly ironic. While 'home' typically connotes safety, comfort, and belonging, Shire subverts this notion by depicting it as a place of danger and turmoil. Throughout the poem, the concept of home is reframed as a hostile environment, a place from which one must escape to survive.
Stanza by Stanza Analysis
The opening lines establish the central metaphor of the poem: home as the "mouth of a shark." This vivid image conveys the immediate threat and danger that compels people to leave. It suggests that leaving home is not a choice but a necessity driven by survival instincts.
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
```
The imagery here emphasizes the collective urgency and panic. The entire city is fleeing, symbolizing widespread chaos and danger. The reference to "breath bloody in their throats" highlights the physical toll and desperation of the flight
```
the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory
is holding a gun bigger than his body
```
This stanza personalizes the chaos, contrasting a tender memory with the harsh reality of violence. The boy, once a symbol of innocent affection, now represents the corruption and coercion of young lives by conflict.
4. Stanza 4:
```
no one leaves home
when home won’t let you stay.
```
This concise statement reinforces the idea that departure is forced, not voluntary. Home, typically a place of refuge, becomes uninhabitable.
5. Stanza 5:
```
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
```
Here, Shire describes the urgency and danger as a literal and metaphorical pursuit. "Fire under feet" and "hot blood in your belly" convey immediate peril and a visceral, life-threatening urgency.
6. Stanza 6:
```
it’s not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into
your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
```
This stanza portrays the reluctance and emotional attachment to home, despite the threats. The "blade burnt threats" and "anthem under your breath" illustrate the conflict between the love for one's homeland and the necessity to flee.
7. Stanza 7:
```
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilet
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn’t be going back.
```
The act of tearing up a passport symbolizes severing ties with one's identity and homeland. The sorrowful image of "sobbing as each mouthful of paper" underscores the emotional devastation of realizing one can't return home.
8. Stanza 8:
```
you have to understand,
that no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land
```
This plea for empathy highlights the extreme desperation that drives people to risk their lives and those of their children by fleeing across treacherous waters. The comparison of water being safer than land underscores the peril they are escaping.
9. Stanza 9:
```
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey.
```
Shire lists various dangerous and dehumanizing modes of escape, emphasizing that such extreme measures are only taken out of sheer necessity. The "miles travelled" signify more than distance—they represent a pursuit of safety and a new beginning.
10. Stanza 10:
```
no one crawls under fences
no one wants to be beaten
pitied
```
This stanza emphasizes that refugees do not choose these humiliating and degrading experiences. They are forced into such circumstances by desperation.
11. Stanza 11:
```
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
```
Here, Shire contrasts the horrors of refugee camps and strip searches with the greater dangers from which they are fleeing. It underscores that these indignities are preferable to the threats they face at home.
12. Stanza 12:
```
and one prison guard
in the night
is better than a truckload
of men who look like your father
```
The mention of a "truckload of men who look like your father" evokes the terror of sexual violence and other abuses, suggesting that even oppressive conditions elsewhere are safer than staying at home.
13. Stanza 13:
```
no one could take it
no one could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
```
This repetition reinforces the idea that the experiences refugees endure are beyond what anyone could reasonably be expected to bear.
14. Stanza 14:
```
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
```
This stanza presents the xenophobic and racist sentiments faced by refugees and migrants. It highlights the dehumanizing labels and hostility directed at them.
15. Stanza 15:
```
niggers with their hands out
they smell strange
savage
messed up their country and now they want
to mess ours up
```
The harsh language and stereotypes reflect the prejudice and scapegoating encountered by displaced people. It underscores the unjust blame placed on them by host societies.
16. Stanza 16:
```
how do the words
the dirty looks
roll off your backs
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
```
This stanza suggests that, despite the prejudice and hostility faced in host countries, these challenges are less severe compared to the brutalities they fled from.
17. Stanza 17:
```
or the words are more tender
than fourteen men between
your legs
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child body
in pieces.
```
The graphic imagery here starkly contrasts the verbal abuse with the physical horrors experienced by refugees. It highlights the relative insignificance of insults compared to the traumas endured.
18. Stanza 18:
```
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
```
This stanza reiterates the central metaphor, reinforcing the danger associated with the concept of home. It conveys a longing for home that is unattainable due to its transformed, threatening nature.
19. Stanza 19:
```
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hunger
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
```
This section lists the desperate actions taken in the pursuit of safety, underscoring the lengths to which refugees go to survive. It highlights the abandonment of pride and dignity in favor of survival.
20. Stanza 20:
```
no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now
i dont know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here
```
The poem concludes with a personification of home as an entity urging escape. It acknowledges a fundamental transformation of home into a place of peril, affirming that fleeing is the only option.
Themes
1. Forced Displacement:
The poem underscores that leaving home is never a voluntary act but a forced decision driven by extreme circumstances. Shire emphasizes that individuals and families become refugees due to the dire necessity of escaping danger and seeking safety.
2. Violence and Conflict:
Throughout the poem, images of violence, war, and persecution illustrate the conditions that compel people to flee. The metaphor of "home as the mouth of a shark" and references to guns, fires, and threats highlight the dangerous environments refugees escape from.
3. Identity and Belonging:
The poem explores the loss of identity and belonging that comes with displacement. Tearing up a passport and enduring hostile treatment in foreign lands reflect the struggle to maintain a sense of self while being uprooted.
4. Empathy and Understanding:
Shire calls for empathy by illustrating the extreme situations that drive people to leave their homes. She challenges readers to see beyond stereotypes and understand the profound desperation behind the actions of refugees. Phrases like “you have to understand” and vivid descriptions of suffering emphasize the need for compassion and support for those displaced.
5. Survival and Sacrifice:
The poem highlights the theme of survival at any cost. It portrays the lengths to which individuals will go, including enduring dangerous journeys and degrading conditions, to secure safety for themselves and their families. The abandonment of pride and the willingness to endure unimaginable hardships underline the human instinct to survive against all odds.
6. Prejudice and Xenophobia:
Shire addresses the hostility and discrimination faced by refugees and migrants in host countries. The harsh labels and insults depict the prejudice they encounter, contrasting with the stark reality of their previous suffering. The poem critiques societal attitudes and calls for a more humane perspective towards those seeking refuge.
7. Loss and Longing:
The repeated refrain about the dangers of home underscores a deep sense of loss and longing. Despite the necessity to flee, there is a persistent yearning for the idea of home—a place that once represented safety and comfort but has now become perilous.
8. Human Resilience:
The resilience of refugees is a subtle but pervasive theme. Despite the trials they face, the determination to survive and protect their loved ones is evident. The poem captures the strength required to endure such ordeals and the hope that drives individuals to seek a better life.
Structure and Form
The poem is written in free verse, which allows Shire to convey her message without the constraints of a fixed rhyme or meter. This form reflects the chaos and unpredictability of the refugee experience. The lack of traditional structure mirrors the disordered lives of those fleeing conflict and danger.
Shire uses enjambment extensively, creating a sense of urgency and momentum that propels the reader through the poem. The continuous flow of lines mirrors the ceaseless and unrelenting nature of the journey undertaken by refugees. The absence of punctuation in many places adds to the breathless, desperate tone of the narrative.
Literary Devices
1. Metaphor:
- "Home is the mouth of a shark": This metaphor vividly conveys the idea that home has become a place of lethal danger.
- "home is the barrel of the gun": Another powerful metaphor illustrating home as a source of immediate threat and violence.
2. Imagery:
- The poem is rich in sensory imagery, such as "fire under feet," "hot blood in your belly," and "sobbing as each mouthful of paper." These images evoke the physical and emotional pain experienced by refugees.
- "spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck" and "crawls under fences" depict the grueling and dehumanizing journey of fleeing.
3. Repetition:
- Phrases like “no one leaves home” and “no one” are repeated to emphasize that leaving is not a choice but a compulsion. This repetition reinforces the central argument that fleeing is a last resort driven by necessity.
- The repeated descriptions of dangerous and degrading conditions underscore the extreme desperation of refugees.
4. Personification:
- Home is personified as a voice urging the speaker to flee: "no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear saying - leave, run away from me now." This personification captures the idea of home becoming actively hostile and unrecognizable.
5. Juxtaposition:
- Shire juxtaposes the violence and danger at home with the hostility faced in host countries. This contrast highlights the harsh realities on both sides of the refugee experience.
- The tender memory of a childhood kiss is juxtaposed with the image of the same boy holding a gun, illustrating the loss of innocence and the impact of conflict on personal lives.
6. Irony:
- The use of "home" in the title and throughout the poem is deeply ironic. It traditionally signifies safety, yet in the poem, it represents danger and destruction.
- The phrase "anywhere is safer than here" is ironic as it emphasizes the extremity of the situation, where even the unknown dangers of migration are preferable to staying.
Language and Diction
Shire’s diction is raw and visceral, employing stark and often brutal language to convey the severity of the refugee experience. Words like “shark,” “bloody,” “burnt,” and “sobbing” evoke strong emotional reactions, drawing the reader into the harrowing realities faced by those who flee.
The conversational and direct tone of the poem creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy. Phrases like “you have to understand” and “maybe because the blow is softer” directly address the reader, making the narrative more personal and urgent.
Mood and Tone
The mood of the poem is somber and urgent, reflecting the despair and desperation of those forced to flee their homes. The tone is both empathetic and confrontational, as Shire seeks to elicit understanding and challenge misconceptions about refugees.
The poem’s tone shifts from the personal and reflective to the broadly accusatory, particularly when addressing the prejudices and injustices faced by refugees in host countries. This shift emphasizes the broader societal context and the need for empathy and change.
Context
Warsan Shire is a Somali-British poet whose work often explores themes of displacement, identity, and resilience. "Home" reflects her own experiences and the stories of countless refugees and migrants who have been forced to leave their homelands due to conflict, persecution, and instability.
The poem resonates strongly in the context of global refugee crises, where millions are displaced due to wars, political upheaval, and economic hardship. Shire’s work amplifies the voices of those often marginalized and misunderstood, providing a poignant commentary on the human cost of displacement.
Conclusion
"Home" by Warsan Shire is a deeply moving and thought-provoking poem that sheds light on the painful realities of forced migration. Through vivid imagery, powerful metaphors, and a compelling narrative, Shire challenges readers to empathize with refugees and understand the profound desperation that drives them to flee their homes. The poem serves as a poignant reminder of the humanity behind the headlines and the resilience of those who seek safety and a better life.
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