Refugee Blues - W.H. Auden
A Haunting Ballad of Exile, Alienation, and Societal Indifference
“Say this city has ten million souls, / Some are living in mansions, some are living in holes:”
W.H. Auden’s “Refugee Blues,” written in 1939, voices the plight of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany just before World War II. Presented as a blues-like ballad, the poem’s rhythm and repetitive refrains mirror both a sense of lament and urgency. In each stanza, Auden outlines how bureaucratic red tape, walls of prejudice, and societal apathy block the speaker and their companion at every turn.
From the first lines, the poem introduces a city teeming with people—yet to the refugees, it remains a place devoid of welcome. The speaker notes the irony that, despite plenty of space and resources, there seems no room for those forced out of their homeland. Repeated references to “my dear” deepen the emotional impact, emphasizing the shared burden of exile.
Auden skillfully blends a plain, understated diction with poignant images—government offices slamming doors, official documents being out of reach, or even the natural world (like birds or fish) seemingly freer than the refugees. This contrast underlines the fundamental human tragedy of displacement: while the land itself is vast, the barriers of law and hatred appear insurmountable. By the end, the poem emphasizes that indifference—both systemic and personal—can have lethal consequences for those stripped of refuge.
Key points
1. Auden employs a simple, repetitive blues form to underscore desperation and isolation.
2. “Refugee Blues” highlights the cruel paradox between vast societal resources and xenophobic exclusion.
3. The poem critiques red tape, institutional prejudice, and public apathy toward those in flight from persecution.
4. Its haunting refrain remains a powerful commentary on displacement and the moral duty to shelter the vulnerable.