{"id":866949,"date":"2025-08-25T12:17:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T06:47:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/?p=866949"},"modified":"2025-08-25T12:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T06:47:01","slug":"ncert-solutions-class-11-english-woven-words-poem-9-refugee-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leverageedu.com\/discover\/school-education\/ncert-solutions-class-11-english-woven-words-poem-9-refugee-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 9: Refugee Blues (Free PDF)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This section provides NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 9: Refugee Blues, to deepen students\u2019 understanding of the poem\u2019s themes, tone, and poetic devices. The solutions explore the poem\u2019s depiction of displacement, alienation, and the human cost of political indifference. These solutions are prepared to help students in effective exam preparation. You can also download the free PDF for quick revision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Explore Notes of Class 11 English Woven Words<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Poem 1<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 2<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 3<\/strong><\/a><\/td>Poem 4<\/strong><\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

NCERT Solutions Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 9: Refugee Blues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the NCERT Solutions for Class 11 English Woven Words Poem 9: Refugee Blues, designed to enhance understanding of the poem\u2019s themes, imagery, and emotional resonance for effective revision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNDERSTANDING THE POEM<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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  1. The title, \u2018Refugee Blues,\u2019 encapsulates the theme of the poem. Comment.<\/strong>
    The title Refugee Blues succinctly captures the poem\u2019s central theme of displacement and despair faced by refugees, particularly Jewish refugees fleeing persecution during the 1930s. The word \u201cRefugee\u201d highlights the speaker\u2019s stateless, marginalised identity, while \u201cBlues\u201d evokes the melancholic, mournful tone of the poem, drawing on the musical genre known for expressing sorrow and hardship. The title encapsulates the poem\u2019s exploration of alienation, as seen in lines like \u201cCame to a great city, my dear, where a million people live \/ Yet not a single one we knew,\u201d which underscores the refugees\u2019 isolation in a crowded world. The rhythmic, blues-like structure, with its repetitive refrains, mirrors the relentless suffering and cyclical rejection faced by the refugees, making the title a fitting encapsulation of the poem\u2019s emotional and thematic core.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    1. What is the poetic technique used by the poet to convey the plaintive theme of the poem?<\/strong>
      W.H. Auden employs the poetic technique of a blues song structure, characterised by repetition and a conversational tone, to convey the plaintive theme of Refugee Blues. The poem is structured in tercets, with each stanza ending in a refrain-like line that reinforces the refugees\u2019 despair, such as \u201cBut we have no place, my dear, we have no place.\u201d This repetition mimics the cyclical, unending nature of their plight, evoking a sense of hopelessness. The conversational address to \u201cmy dear\u201d adds an intimate, personal tone, amplifying the emotional weight of their suffering. Additionally, Auden uses simple, direct language to narrate the refugees\u2019 experiences, such as \u201cThought I heard the thunder rumbling in the sky \/ It was Hitler over Europe, saying, \u2018They must die,\u2019\u201d which starkly conveys the terror and inevitability of their persecution. This blues-inspired structure and tone effectively underscore the poem\u2019s plaintive theme of loss and rejection.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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      1. What do the references to the birds and animals made in the poem suggest?<\/strong>
        The references to birds and animals in Refugee Blues contrast the natural freedom of these creatures with the refugees\u2019 lack of agency and belonging. For instance, the line \u201cSaw a poodle in a jacket fastened with a pin \/ Saw a door opened and a cat let in\u201d highlights how animals are treated with care and given shelter, while the refugees are denied such basic rights, as seen in \u201cBut we have no place, my dear, we have no place.\u201d Similarly, the mention of birds singing \u201cat their ease\u201d in the trees contrasts with the refugees\u2019 inability to find safety or peace. These references suggest a cruel irony: even animals enjoy freedom and security, while humans fleeing persecution are dehumanized and excluded. Auden uses these comparisons to underscore the unnatural injustice faced by the refugees, emphasising their alienation from both society and the natural world.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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        1. How does the poet juxtapose the human condition with the behaviour of the political class?<\/strong>
          Auden juxtaposes the desperate human condition of the refugees with the callous indifference of the political class to highlight the moral disconnect between those in power and those suffering. The refugees\u2019 plight is vividly depicted through personal, human experiences, such as \u201cWent to a committee; they offered me a chair \/ But told me politely they couldn\u2019t help, my dear,\u201d which shows their rejection despite their dire need. In contrast, the political class is portrayed as detached and cruel, as seen in \u201cThought I heard the thunder rumbling in the sky \/ It was Hitler over Europe, saying, \u2018They must die.\u2019\u201d This line personifies the political authority\u2019s genocidal intent, contrasting sharply with the refugees\u2019 human vulnerability. The bureaucracy\u2019s formalities, like offering a chair, and the consul\u2019s dismissive \u201cIf you\u2019ve got no passport, you\u2019re officially dead,\u201d further emphasise the political class\u2019s cold, procedural detachment from the refugees\u2019 human suffering, exposing the inhumanity of political systems.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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          1. How is the essence of the poem captured in the lines \u2018two tickets to Happiness\u2019?<\/strong>
            The line \u201cHe was talking of you and me, my dear, talking of you and me\u201d following the reference to \u201ctwo tickets to Happiness\u201d captures the essence of Refugee Blues by encapsulating the refugees\u2019 unattainable yearning for safety and belonging. The phrase \u201ctwo tickets to Happiness\u201d symbolises an idealised escape to a place of peace and acceptance, a stark contrast to the refugees\u2019 reality of rejection and displacement. The conversational address to \u201cmy dear\u201d underscores the personal, intimate bond between the speaker and their companion, highlighting their shared hope and despair. However, the subsequent line reveals the cruel irony: this \u201cHappiness\u201d is an illusion, as no such refuge exists for them. The phrase distils the poem\u2019s core theme of longing for a home and security, only to be met with exclusion and despair, making it a poignant summation of the refugees\u2019 tragic predicament.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            TRY THIS OUT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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            1. Here is a list of devices used in poetry. Elaborate on their use in this poem: Refrain, Pathos, Irony, Sarcasm.<\/strong>\n