Uncertainty and Loss of Identity in Refugee Poetry

Abstract

[eng] This dissertation explores how uncertainty and the loss of identity are depicted in poetry about refugees and examines these as factors conditioning asylum seekers’ experience. By examining their implications, this dissertation aims at drawing parallels between poetry from different authors to determine whether these are key elements to define refugees. To prove this, a close reading has been done on a selection of poems by Warsan Shire, Ruth Padel, Brian Conaghan, and Moniza Alvi. Being their works focused on different refugees’ experiences, all of them depict uncertainty in their poetry as the default partner of the asylum seeker, as it is present throughout their journey. This paper challenges the current European racism by providing evidence of the feelings that any human could experience while facing grief. Only by giving voice to these silent voices and making their feelings visible, people might understand why refugees put their lives under risk to arrive to Europe.