REFUGEES by Brian Bilston

refugees

A poem by Brian Bilston

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Refugees is a very clever poem which packs an enormous punch. It’s great for stimulating debate about young minds.

On a first read-through, the poem appears to be a criticism of refugees but the poem can be read in reverse order. It's in fact a reverse poem or upside down poem or a palindrome poem. The poet says he got the idea for the two-way structure from a poem called The Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed.

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Reverse poetry is a poem that can be read forwards (top to bottom) and have one meaning, but can also be read backwards (bottom to top) and have a different or opposite meaning. The structure of reverse poems is usually the same. There are negative and positive statements mixed in with general statements such as, "I believe that" or "It is not true that". The topic of a reverse poem is usually something that has two opposite viewpoints or sides to it.

What is REVERSE POETRY?

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This poem about refugees takes on a whole new meaning when you read it backwards

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Brian Bilston is calledThe Poet Laureate of Twitter and his poem "Refugees" was first published just on Twitter...

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When the world faces the largest refugee and migrant crisis since World War II, Bilston’s poem advocates the need for empathy in welcoming those who are escaping unlivable circumstances in search of peace and prosperity. Refugees demonstrates the importance of challenging oneself to think about the bigger picture and approach people in need with an open mind and heart.

© Brian Bilston With kind permission of the poet

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What is the message of the poem "Refugees" by Brian Bilston?

When the world faces the largest refugee and migrant crisis since World War II, Bilston's poem advocates the need for empathy in welcoming those who are escaping unlivable circumstances in search of peace and prosperity.

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"Refugees", a powerful poem, reminds readers to be greater than their preconceptions, to look beyond shallow stereotypes and to think twice before making unfair judgements about the less fortunate.

To understand the true beauty that underlies Brian Bilston’s poem, a person literally needs to process it twice. First from top to bottom, and then from bottom to top.

They have no need of our help So do not tell me These haggard faces could belong to you or me Should life have dealt a different hand We need to see them for who they really are Chancers and scroungers Layabouts and loungers With bombs up their sleeves Cut-throats and thieves They are not Welcome here We should make them Go back to where they came from They cannot Share our food Share our homes Share our countries Instead let us Build a wall to keep them out It is not okay to say These are people just like us A place should only belong to those who are born there Do not be so stupid to think that The world can be looked at another way (now read from bottom to top)

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Here is the poem in Italian

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Migration, sharing, contempt for refugees, and opposite point of view are four major themes of this poem.

The poet discusses migration, the situation of the migrants, and the attitude of the native people throughout the poem, highlighting that the refugees should stay in their country as they share the food and lands of other people.

However, he also gives ironic remarks by the end to make his readers feel that sharing is a good thing and that they should not think in this way to voice their contempt for the refugees.

About poetic devices...

The poem does not follow any specific rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.

There's no punctuation!

About poetic devices...

A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. This poem has a single stanza comprising 24 verses in total.

About poetic devices...

Repetition is a rhetorical device used to stress upon the main ideas such as “Share” which has been repeated several times in the poem.

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About Brian Bilston

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“He is to poetry what Banksy is to art. He is a riddle, wrapped up in a mystery, inside an enigma, inserted into a conundrum, buried underneath a puzzle.”

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Bilston said, "I had never intended to be a poet. A poet to my mind was someone of intensity, a serious type, the kind of person you wouldn't want to get trapped in a kitchen with at a party."

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"Brian Bilston is a poet clouded in the pipe smoke of mystery. Very little is known about him other than the fragments of information revealed on social media..."

'Bilston is a magician with words...'(The Guardian)

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Answer this question... What about the line at the end “A place should only belong to those who are born there”?

And now, here is a challenge 4 U!

Write a four or five-line poem which can be read both ways, i.g. about war...

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