On the 13th of September we discussed Warsan Shire's poem called Souvenir. Shire and her family were refugees from Somalia. The word souvenir evokes many positive ideas and memories. It brings word like 'remembering', 'traveling', 'sentimental ', 'memory', 'holiday', 'symbol' and 'synecdoche' to the surface. Yet, with the first sentence "You brought the war with you", it is evident that the title is not intended as its typical meaning. The poem is a of a progressive nature. It is about war that cannot escape you for you and those around you are constantly reminded thereof. For example when one spots someone from Somalia or with a turban on their head, emotions of warm violence and bombs are evoked.

The structure of the poem is progressive, as mentioned previously. In the stanza all the physical characteristics of being a refugee is mentioned. It is as if the refugee is stepping foot in the new country in the first stanza.In the second stanza has more inner detailed characteristics, as if the character is 'know' better. The remaining stanzas are more active, where the person is 'doing life' in the new country. each stanza

 The main character of the poem represents war by means of her hair, skin and nails. these physical traits cannot escape her, as does war. The word war carries connotation of trauma, conflict and death. The opening sentence sets a blaming tone. The irony of the poem's title is continued with further holiday images like 'photograph' and 'suitcase'. With 'under your nails' it is clear in the context of war that the person is not the one doing the shooting or oppressing, but rather protecting themselves by means of scratching. By looking what is found under someone's nails it points to where the person has been.

The second stanza uses words like 'shadow' and 'apparition' which contributes to the fact that refugees are not seen as citizen or necessarily human. The reference to "a thick accented apparition" creates a distinct otherness.

Many things in the poem can be labeled as the souvenir. War is one of the. The other is the person in the poem, being a souvenir of war.

The third stanza points out that war is omniscient. One wants to forget and leave war in the past, but war is watching television with you , laughing with you, having conversations with you and is even present in bed with you and your partner.

The fourth stanza speaks of never settling for war can be trigger at any instance. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a reality, even within ones self.

The poem is concluded with the fact that war creates an all encompassing force that takes away of the good things in life, like kissing- "You haven't kissed anyone for a while. To you, everything tastes like blood"