When a migrant leaves their homeland, in search of a better life, physical hardship and emotional turmoil may ensue. This is expressed in Peter Skrzynecki’s poem, ‘Crossing the Red Sea,’ when Peter himself was a migrant who travelled to Australia. The poem portrays the physical distress and the emotional disturbance experienced by the Skrynecki family, as they journey to pursue a better quality of life. This is depicted in the line “stretched out on blankets and pillows against cabins and rails.” The author has conveyed the physical distress in the poem through the use of vivid imagery. As a result, this line describes the physical hardships experienced by the composer and conveys to the audience how the migrant experience is seen as uneasy and uncomfortable. “Against cabins and rails” suggest …show more content…
The poet has accomplished this through the use of juxtaposition and the colour red as a motif. This is addressed in the third stanza of the poem as it states, “I remember a field of red poppies, once behind the forest. Blood leaves similar dark stains- when it runs for a long time on stones or rusted iron.” This citation acknowledges how the trauma of war has left sharp memories in the migrant’s minds provoking emotional turmoil. The comparison of the red poppies to blood represents the loss of loved ones and destruction of their homelands. The effect of war is seen through the two techniques as it indicates how poppies can represent peace and joy, which has changed to anger and death symbolised by the blood stains. Thus, challenges and hardships encountered when a migrant chooses to leave their homeland may include emotional turmoil. In addition, Skrynecki has also used the technique of biblical allusion in the poem to advocate the physical hardships and emotional turmoil experienced by migrants when leaving their