Even more intriguing is that this poem was published in 2007, almost a decade before the European Migration Crisis and numerous migrant controversies around the world and in the UK. Although many of the poems dwell on darker themes -- racism, oppression, arranged marriages -- the prevailing tone is one of exuberance and charm, as exemplified by the first and last poems of the collection. Lines 1-5: “Stowed in the sea to invade / the lash alfresco of a diesel-breeze / ratcheting speed into the tide, with brunt / gobfuls of surf phlegmed by cushy come-and-go / tourists prow’d on the cruisers, lording the ministered waves. They can be seen from the start with the contrast between the arrival of the immigrant and the presence of the tourists.

Nagra also dramatises an uneasy nation, as one idea of England is replaced by another — the latter, Nagra’s vision, is uglier, with hostility to immigrants and pollution. Some readers may also interpret the less even structure as reminding them of their own experience with foreign languages, in which those who are less practiced may struggle to have an even and regular flow of conversation. For example, the first line of every stanza has eight, six, or seven syllables and the fifth somewhere between fourteen and sixteen. The title of the poem would immediately be intriguing to a reader because of the poorly phrased language and mix of tenses. Nagra’s poem reflects the themes of Arnold’s poem, written a hundred years ago, where the he imagines the conflict and chaos that might result if the there was no religious basis to our society.Nagra, whose own parents came to England from the Punjab in the 1950s, draws on both English and Indian-English traditions to tell stories of alienation, assimilation, aspiration and love, from a stowaway’s first footprint on Dover Beach to the disenchantment of subsequent generations. Taking in its sights Matthew Arnold's 'land of dreams', the collection explores the idealism and reality of a multicultural Britain with wit, intelligence and no small sense of mischief. The poem begins with the speaker describing the terrifying arrival into Dover There is nothing beautiful about this scene. Building on your ideas, in stanza three, “unclocked by the national eye” also suggests that the only work the migrants can get is illegal.

There is also the personification of the wind and rain described as “yobbish” and the ugly connotations and dehumanisation of “swarms of us” which likens those entering the country to insects. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University London, Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, on the Council of the Society of Authors, Advisor to Poetry By Heart, and presents the weekly Poetry Extra on Radio 4 Extra. The poet uses words in whatever way seems to convey his meaning, regardless of whether this is ‘correct’, and subtly conveys extra layers of meaning. It is a hard life they are living as they are stuck between the dark spotlight of night and the hope of the sun. Conflict: As a result of these societal, cultural and identity differences, it is easy to see how there is potential for conflict as different groups and different ideologies are merged into this one poem.These social issues make the poem even more interesting to look back on, and could help students to make a whole range of interesting comparison points with other poems. One can’t help but wonder how this initial impression of England contrasted with that the immigrants might’ve expected. The list of words and phrases in this stanza goes on for a few lines as the speaker elaborates on their way of being in England.

As such, this would help to make the poem even more memorable and help a reader consider the implications and ideas of the poem in todays society. It reads, “So various, so beautiful, so new…” There is nothing “beautiful” about the speaker’s description of the Dover shore in the first stanzas of the text. In the future, the speaker would like to see himself and his companions as part of British culture and “babbling [their] lingoes. is a great example of how poems can share so many ideas and thoughts regarding key contemporary events and issues within society.Descriptions such as “swarms” take individuality out of those coming to the country, showing how identity can easily be removed and stereotypes applied.

Once again there is another light-hearted phrase within the poem to contrast with the more serious issues being raised, helping to present people as normal and approachable to a reader. This includes phrases such as “diesel-breeze” which alludes to pollution and environmental damage as a result of travelling, and harsh and unpleasant industry-heavy areas.This could therefore be interpreted as a criticism of those who are see immigration as hugely detrimental or even dangerous. The immigrants are camouflaged while the animals are out in the open, making noise and going where they please. The beauty of Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach scene is contrasted with Nagra’s poem, in which the sea has ‘gobfuls’ in its ‘phlegmed water’ and the cliffs are crumbling and ‘scummed’.