Migrant Hostel - Peter Skrzynecki

The poem ‘Migrant Hostel’ shows feelings of confusion and loss for the persona, and how they feel no sense of place or belonging, due to the interactions with society and how the society doesn't want the migrants to be a part of their community. The poem reveals a historical fact through the date and place name, this shows that this poem is personal and establishes the reality of this experience. The transient nature shown through the poem is represented by the description in the first stanza, ‘comings and goings... arrivals... departures’ which establishes a feeling of confusion. The statement ‘No one kept count’ shows that there is a lack of identity, the many migrants are lost and abandoned, in hope for a brighter future.
In the second stanza the simile ‘like a homing pigeon’ is used to show that they are desperately seeking connection and reassurance with people from the same ‘nationalities’. The metaphoric line ‘partitioned off at night’ displays their separation from the other cultures, but more dramatically they feel separated from society. All they have is ‘memories of hunger and hate’ – a burden that they have to carry – they have seen too much and felt too much pain. They can’t think properly because they are too scared of what will happen next.
The third stanza compares the migrants with birds (simile) to show how that have been constantly shifted, and have lack of control and direction. The line ‘Always sensing a change in the weather’ shows that they know their lives are changing, and they have a sense of alertness and expectation for what is yet to come. ‘Unaware of the season, whose track we would follow’ shows how they are confused and waiting, taking a risk, not knowing what lies ahead.
The last stanza of the poem shows their exclusion from society through the ‘barrier’. The barrier suggests that they are contained symbolically and have no freedom. They are not accepted as a part of society. It also shows how they hoped for a new life, but