Belonging

The desire to belong is a universal human experience. Do you agree?
The need and desire to belong has always been a must for human survival. It is the sense of belonging that bridges the gulf between isolation and intimacy and it is this experience that allows the individual human to form and flourish. Our desire to belong is universal as without a sense of belonging, lives feel empty and pointless, and people become expendable. These concepts of belonging are effectively expressed in the poetry of Peter Skrzynecki’s ‘Immigrant Chronicle’, Colin Long’s article ‘The myth of belonging masks our insecurity’ and WH Auden’s poem ‘Refugee Blues’.
Belonging is an instinctive human need in all of us. The human spirit craves a sense of belonging as it gives us a feeling of acceptance, fellowship, security and unity. ‘Feliks Skrzynecki’ explores the relationship between the poet and his father and their contrasting experiences of belonging. Felik’s home is the garden, where he walks its paths “ten times around the world”. The use of this hyperbole demonstrates his sense of belonging in this setting, as he chooses to stay within its boundaries. The garden is a symbol of belonging and Feliks’s craving to belong is highlighted through his hard work and devotion to the garden: “hands darkened from cement, fingers with cracks like the sods he broke”. He chooses to work hard in this setting because he wants to belong to his garden.   In the following stanza, Feliks’s sense of belonging is further highlighted through the use of positive connotations. Feliks and his friends share memories, reminiscing about fertile farms “flowered” and animals “bred” in their native Poland.   Feliks craves acceptance and belonging in a new land however he also needs to belong to his culture and heritage. Feliks’s sense of belonging and happiness contrasts with his son’s discontent: “Happy as I have never been”. Peter craves his father’s sense of belonging to his cultural heritage, it is clear that...