Home By Warsan Island Poem Analysis

Exploring Themes of Displacement and Identity Usually, the word “home” represents safety, security, and belonging. Because that is how it is presented in reality. However, many authors tend to forget that, for some people, home is a cause of abuse and neglect. Two literary pieces cover how family affects the way the characters see their identities and sense of belonging. The short story “Shout” by Dagoberto Gilb depicts a family that is struggling financially and it is taking a toll on the family. In the short story, the father is hurt and he is struggling to keep jobs due to his injury causing financial issues at home. Creating frustration that he releases on his family. While the poem “Home” by Warsan Shire presents how the character is

In the poem “Home”, Shire uses metaphors to compare how the character feels. For instance, in the poem Shire says, “No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark” (lines 1-2). Shire uses the metaphor to compare leaving home to the mouth of a shark. Because it helps readers understand that leaving home is a hard thing to do unless life at home is dangerous. Another metaphor Shire uses in his poem is “...no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land” ( lines 24-25). He uses this metaphor to show that many immigrants face great violence in their country that it gets to the point where they only have the option to leave their home country. Even if it means it’ll be a dangerous trail to get to the new country. Both these metaphors that Shire used in his poem show that when countries become dangerous, many people seek safety elsewhere. Similarly, Dagoberto Gilb mentions, “At the same time the duplex apartment they’d been living in for years had been sold and they had to move here. It was all they could get, all they were offered, since so few landlords wanted three children, boys no less, at a monthly rent they could afford” (par.4). Gilb used this to show that the family's home was taken from them and it was a struggle for them to find a new home because of the number of children in the family and the amount of rent being asked for was right for

In the poem “Home”, the emotional tone that leads readers to is sadness, desperation, and the feeling of sympathy for the refugees. In the poem, Shire states “... no one would leave home unless home chased you to the shore unless home told you to quicken your legs..” ( lines 77-80). This sentence shows that refugees are in despair about leaving their country. It also makes readers feel sympathy for the refugees, because other refugees like the character's only option, are to leave the place they love knowing that they will no longer return. Whereas, in the short story “Shout” it has emotions of anger, frustration, and hope for a better future. Glib in his story states, “... “I’m so tired,” he muttered. She glared at him, the baby in her arms. “You know sometimes I wish you were a man cuz I wouldn’t let you get away with looks like that. I wouldn’t take half the shit I take from you” (pg.1). To show how the fustaration and anger are causing tension in the family. Both literature pieces use different emotional tones to show the theme of