Carol Rumens is a British poet and professor whose work is informed by history, language, origins, and the magic in the mundane. Her poem “The Émigrée,” first published in the 1983 collection Star Whisper, expresses the way that nothing—even war, tyranny, or discrimination—can darken the speaker’s sunlit impression of her country of origin.
In the poem, the speaker strongly associates her native country with sunlight. Though she can never return to the city where she was born, her heritage grants her strength and understanding amidst the challenges of living in a hostile environment.
Star Whisper was well-received, marking the beginning of Rumens’ imaginative involvement with modern European history. The Poetry Book Society (founded by T.S. Eliot) chose the collection as one of the best contemporary reads, recommending the book to thousands of readers. Rumens has stated that this was a defining moment in her confidence as a writer.
