LOOK WE HAVE COMING TO DOVER!

-
DALJIT NAGRA
This poem is a detailed description of immigration to the UK and the subsequent
fusing of multiple identities and ethnicities. Nagra, himself, was born in Britain but
with Sikh / Punjabi background, appears to perfectly identify what it is like to be
fused with two different ethnicities through the poem.

To begin, we must analyse the title: it is a grammatical error in itself (it should be
‘look we ARE coming to Dover’). While many can interpret this as a mistranslation
between Punjabi and English languages, it can be seen that the grammatical error
was purposeful to represent the blending of languages as immigrants enter
Britain.
Something else important to note before delving into deep analysis is
the epigraph that Nagra has used: from Matthew Arnold’s Dover Beach, it
immediately shows the outlook of a new environment for the narrator before
they even begin talking. The epigraph reads ‘‘So various, so beautiful, so new…’‘,
which demonstrates the outlook upon the new setting, and expresses their
emotions on viewing this place. With reference to Dover as a place, it is a very
‘beautiful’ place (calling it ‘beautiful’, of course, comes with subjectivity), and
Nagra has evidently taken influence from this new outlook on a new place from
Arnold to begin his poem: and what a fine job he has done.
Stanza 1:
The poem begins with the stanza:

‘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.’
This stanza is one long sentence, which could be used for the effect to represent
the idea that one who is excitable and interested in the new place they have just
encountered, they will inevitably not be able to stop for a breath in their thought
process. In fact, there are only two caesuras and an abundance of enjambment,
which just reinforces the fact that the speaker is trapped in an uncontrollable
thought process. The lack of punctuation in the stanza could also symbolise the
stream of immigrants that come into Dover, and represents the idea that
immigrants are constantly coming to England for habitation.
In addition, there are two words in this stanza that are underlined when I type it –
‘gobfuls’ and ‘phlegmed’. Of course, as an  reader we can appreciate that ‘gobfuls’
is a colloquialism, which actually represents the advanced knowledge of the
English colloquial language, and therefore shows the merging of the two
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DALJIT NAGRA
nationalities. However, ‘phlegmed’ is a word that shows that the speaker is trying
to verbalise the noun ‘phlegm’, which is often a technique associated with
someone who does not know the proper word for something, as people learning
a new language may speak.

Stanza 2:
‘Seagull and shoal life
Vexin their blarnies upon our huddled
camouflage past the vast crumble of scummed
cliffs, scramming on mulch as thunder unbladders
yobbish rain and wind on our escape, hutched in a Bedford van.’
This stanza follows on from the previous point of words being made up for effect:
the words ‘vexin’, ‘blarnies’, ‘unbladders’, ‘yobbish’ and ‘hutched’ are all words
that have been based on real words, as if to represent the language barriers
between the immigrants and to where they are immigrating (Britain).

This stanza also represents the idea of immigrants wanting to fit in when they get
to England. The line that says ‘our huddled / camouflage’ shows that as a group,
they are trying to blend in so that they are not singled out for being foreign. This
idea may have come from the notorious notion that many British people are con-
immigration, therefore they did not want to be belittled and bullied by this group
of British people.

Stana 3:
‘Seasons or years we reap
inland, unclocked by the national eye
or stab in the back, teemed for breathing
sweeps of grass through the whistling asthma of parks,
burdened, ennobled, poling sparks across pylon and pylon.’
This stanza represents the length of time that it takes for cultures to blend and
come together: Nagra says that it takes ‘[s]easons’ or years’ to ‘reap inland’,
implying that it takes a long time to immigrate over into England. The word
‘unclocked’ is a made up word, which again reinforces the blending together of
the cultures, shows that they are not timed by England (‘the national eye’).
However, ‘unclocked’ could also mean that they have come in unnoticed by ‘the
national eye’, even though their were so many immigrants that it took ‘[s]easons
and years’ to come ‘inland’.
Nagra has also encompassed two environmental ideas of England: the natural
side of ‘sweeps of  grass’ and the industrial side of ‘pylon and pylon’. However,
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DALJIT NAGRA
what both environments have in common is that they are both polluted – ‘sweeps
of grass through the asthma parks, / burdened, ennobled, poling sparks’. The
pollution and the suffocation that England has is enforced by the assonance of the
‘ar’ sound: the mass of the ‘ar’ sound in ‘grass’, ‘parks’ and ‘sparks’ symbolises the
mass of pollution that the immigrants have come into.
Stanza 4:
‘Swarms of us, grafting in
the black within shot of the moon’s
spotlight, banking on the miracle of sun –
span its rainbow, passport us to life. Only then
can it be human to hoick ourselves, bare-faced for the clear.’
The word ‘swarms’ implies that there is many immigrants, as we have before
established, and the way that they were grafted in ‘within shot of the moon’s /
spotlight’ shows that they are directly under the gaze of the natural world instead
of the polluted world represented in the previous stanza – they simply observe
the pollution instead of being in the gaze of it.

When it says ‘[o]nly then / can it be human to hoick ourselves’ shows that
everything that has previously been said about their immigration was not
‘human’, and the only way that it is human to ‘hoick’ themselves into England in
the gaze of the ‘moon’s / spotlight’, ‘the miracle of sun’ and then ‘span its
rainbow’: these are all natural resources that Nagra defines as ‘human’. This
implies that everything that is unnatural is inhuman, like polluting the
atmosphere, and now that they have found the natural world, they can ‘be
human’.

Stanza 5:
‘Imagine my love and I,
our sundry others, Blair’d in the cash
of our beeswax’d cars, our crash clothes, free,
we raise our charged glasses over unparasol’d tables
East, babbling our lingoes, flecked by the chalk of Britannia!’
This stanza shows the ‘imagin[ing]’ life in England: this is supported by the
reference to Tony Blair in ‘Blair’d in the cash’ and the idea of ‘babbling’ being a
Themes:  Identity
traditionally English word. The way that Nagra
Cultur
writes that they are ‘babbling our
 Society
lingoes’ shows that there are multiple
es cultures and languages ‘babbling’ together
in the imagined world of this stanza.

However the idea
Race
Dispute
that this is an imagination
implies that this is not truly how cultures actually behave together – they do not
 Speec
actually get along and ‘raise [their] charged glasses over unparasol’d tables’ in
LOOK WE HAVE COMING TO DOVER! -
DALJIT NAGRA
reality, so this portrays the incoherence of race and ethnicity despite existing in
the same country.

Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ by Daljit Nagra is a five stanza poem that is divided into
sets of five lines. There is no consistent rhyme or rhythm scheme in the text but the
patterning of the lines is similar and a reader can find structure through the images used by
Nagra.
In regards to the length of the lines, from stanza to stanza they are very similar. When
viewing the text of the poem on the page the first line of every stanza is the shortest and
the last is the longest, with the middle three making up the distance between. 
This is accomplished though a similar number of words and syllables in the corresponding
lines. For example, the first line of every stanza has eight, six or seven syllables and the fifth
somewhere between fourteen and sixteen. The shape of the stanzas make what could be
interpreted as the waves of the sea, crashing into Dover Beach. 

Themes 
There are a few important themes in ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!,’ but the most
prominent are identity and society. They can be seen from the start with the contrast
between the arrival of the immigrant and the presence of the tourists. The immigrants
maintain their culture throughout the poem, even in the dream future they still keep their
language in the safety of their middle class homes. 
The draw of English society is also present throughout. They are seeking out lives that aren’t
marked by fear and would love to be accepted into the normal culture of the everyday in
which they didn’t have to hide. They could be barefaced. 
Before beginning this piece it is important to take note of the epigraph that begins the
piece. It is a short quote from Matthew Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach.’ 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. 
‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ by Daljit Nagra tells of the arrival of immigrants to
England and of their lives filled with hard work, fears, and dreams. 
The poem begins with the speaker describing the terrifying arrival into Dover There is
nothing beautiful about this scene. The water is dirty, the tourists lord over them and they
fear being spotted. When they finally make it to shore they drive off in an inconspicuous van
and try to make lives for themselves. 
These are hard lives, filled with endless work and the ever-present fear that they’re going to
be caught and returned to their home country. At the same time, they are able to hope for a
better future, as described in the final stanza. 
 Stanza One
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DALJIT NAGRA
In the first stanza of this piece the speaker begins by presenting the English shore from the
perspective of an immigrant. The violent language in these lines implies that they are illegal
immigrants searching for a new life in England. They have traveled in the most basic way
possible, perhaps “Stowed” aboard a small ship. This word also speak to the secrecy and
illegality of the operation, as does the word “invade.” It is a scary, employed by the speaker
to show how those in England would view the immigrants coming to their country. As if they
are there to do personal harm or take something from the residents. 
When the immigrants arrive at the shore, it is not a pleasant experience. They are not
greeted with beautiful scenery such as that present within Arnold’s ‘Dover Beach.’ Instead,
the first thing the speaker notices is the “diesel” smelling breeze. It isn’t clean, even though
they are “alfresco” or out in the open air. It comes to them like a “lash,” as if trying to
punish them. The speaker also describes the tide as part of the scene, it is moving in with
the terrible breeze. At the same time there is the water itself, which is fill with,
gobfuls of surf phlegmed by cushy come-and-go
tourists prow’d on the cruisers, lording the ministered waves.
The contrast and comparison between the dirty water and the tourists is interesting here.
They power through the water like “lord[s]” in their cruise ship. The waves are “ministered,”
meaning they obey the needs of the tourists while the immigrants have to fight against
them to make any progress. 
 Stanza Two
The second stanza of ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ begins with a good example of
alliteration, the simple connection of the words “Seagull” and “shoal.” These lines are just as
complicated and as filled with adjectives and verbs as the first. The immigrants are doing
their best to stay hidden from anyone looking their way, but are not helped by the seagulls
and other animals which, 
Vexin their blarnies upon our huddled
camouflage past the vast crumble of scummed
cliffs
The immigrants are camouflaged while the animals are out in the open, making noise and
going where they please. The speaker also described the “scummed / cliffs” of the shoreline.
This is in contrast to the white cliffs normally associated with Dover. One can’t help but
wonder how this initial impression of England contrasted with that the immigrants might’ve
expected. 
The speaker and his traveling companions make it to land and it begins to storm. The
thunder is said to “unbaldder” on the newcomers and the speaker describes the rain as
“yobbish.” It is important to take note of the words used in ‘Look We Have Coming to
Dover!’ which are characteristically English in nature. These people make their escape from
the shore in a Bedford van. It is white, indistinguishable from other similar vehicles and
likely the perfect on land camouflage. 
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DALJIT NAGRA
 
Stanza Three 
The third stanza of ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ jumps ahead in time and speaks on the
seasons and “years” that the immigrants “reap / inland.” The work hard and no one figures
out who they are. They are “unclocked by the national eye.” At anytime they know that they
might be stabbed in the back or hurt by something simple, like asthma contracted in parks.
The place they’ve come to for safety and prosperity is still a dangerous one. 
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. They work hard, are “burdened,” and sometimes even
“ennobled.” 
 Stanza Four 
In the fifth stanza the speaker describes the immigrants as “Swarms” of people. With this
word he presents them as more animal or insect-like than human. It is a hard life they are
living as they are stuck between the dark spotlight of night and the hope of the sun. At the
same time they are able to fear discovery and hope desperately that the sun will, 
span its rainbow, passport us to life. Only then
can it be human to hoick ourselves, bare-faced for the clear.
The possibility of becoming legal in the country is ever present. They dream of this infinitely
positive change and the ability to feel and be treated like humans. They would then be
“bare-faced” about who they are for the rest of time. It’s just going to take a lot more hard
work the speaker says.
 Stanza Five
For the first time in the fifth stanza the speaker makes use of a first person pronoun. He
addresses the listener, asking them to imagine the life hat he and his love could have. They
want to be good British citizens along with the “sundry others.” They could one day have
“beeswax’d cars” and clothes, symbols of their freedom from the oppressive eye of the law. 
In the future the speaker would like to see himself and his companions as part of British
culture and “babbling [their] lingoes.” The final image is a mostly optimistic one. The tone
and scene have changed simnifically since the first stanza. Rather than a rain storm and dirty
water, they are “unparasol’d tables.” This means that they don’t even need the smallest of
umbrellas while they drink from their glasses. 

‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ The title of the poem would immediately be intriguing to a reader
because of the poorly phrased language and mix of tenses. This could cause many different
reactions, such as an immediate assumption that the poem is written by someone with a poor grasp
of the English language, or that the idea of immigration is being mocked in some way. The link to
immigration would become particularly clear with the reference to “Dover” as this is a key point of
entry to the UK from mainland Europe as this is at the narrowest stretch of the English
Channel. Beyond the title, there is a reference to Matthew Arnold’s “Dover Beach” which is a lyrical
poem looking at transitions from old to new and the loneliness that this can cause for an individual.
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DALJIT NAGRA
The poem also considers the uncertainty of the modern world, which is very much in keeping with
‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’.
Poem Structure
When looking at the poem as a whole the changes in line length become clearer, with each stanza
progressing from short lines to long lines, before restarting the cycle for the next stanza. Some
readers may see this as showing waves and tides with this gradual but clear flow and change, or
alternatively the movement of people across the world throughout history and different cycles of
immigration and emigration. 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.
While there is variety within stanzas regarding line length, there is a very even structure across the
poem with five stanzas of five lines. One interpretation of the specific use of five could be as a
reference to the ‘five oceans’ of the world, which have all proved vital to traditional movement and
travel over the centuries. Alternatively it could be seen as further representation of cycles, perhaps
arguing that changes in immigration are natural changes which should be expected.
There is also frequent use of commas and hyphens throughout the poem, which may represent the
idea of diversity and change within society due to the frequent use of these different types of
punctuation. Some readers could also interpret this as continuing the idea of foreign languages and
speech, with these pauses representing the thinking and consideration for new words when a non-
native speaker is using another language. However, as these pieces of punctuation are generally
used to join sentences and words together (in comparison to full breaks with caesura, such as full
stops and exclamation marks), it could be seen that this is demonstrating how different cultures and
people bring society closer together.
Poetic Techniques
The use of non English words is an intriguing way in which Nagra can be seen to be critical of anti-
immigration ideas and sentiments, demonstrating how English has naturally evolved to incorporate
words from other languages. There are many examples, such as “alfresco” (Italian) and “camouflage”
(French) within the first two stanzas, and reference to champagne through “charged glasses” in the
final stanza. This would be very effective for readers who notice the inclusion of such words but
don’t immediately see them as ‘foreign’ because it would demonstrate how language has evolved,
and how little it has been realised by modern society.
A similar technique is the use of British references and imagery to juxtapose with the non-English
words and ideas. One example is “Bedford van” which became a well known piece of British culture
throughout the 20th century, including many wartime vehicles branded as “Bedford”. In addition
there is also the description “Blair’d in the cash” in the final stanza, where the use of “Blair” could be
interpreted as a reference to former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who controversially decided
not to use available restrictions to prevent large scale immigration from many new European Union
countries such as Poland. As such, this reference can be seen as pointing directly to the idea of
immigration and the way that politics, media and society intertwine to react to it.
Many word choices throughout the poem are important due to their variety of negative
connotations. 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.
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DALJIT NAGRA
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. Intriguingly, a reader today may find this line even more notable than in 2007, the year in
which the poem was published, due David Cameron’s description of migrants crossing the
Mediterranean as a “swarm”. 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.
Important Lines
“Stowed in the sea to invade”
The inclusion of “invade” introduces the ongoing theme of words with negative connotations, but
this one is particularly notable because of the direct link to hostile people entering another country.
However, this is juxtaposed with the idea of being “stowed” and hidden away unnoticed, with it
unlikely for people to be able to invade a country with no supplies. This could therefore be
interpreted as a criticism of those who are see immigration as hugely detrimental or even
dangerous.
“banking on the miracle of sun”
This line relates to the typical view of Britain as a rainy country with little sunshine, with the humour
highlighting the ability for people to integrate into society successfully and quickly. Some readers
may also interpret this in relation to the idea of sun as a positive symbol, alluding to the idea that
those coming to the UK may need to hope for a ‘miracle’ in order to be fully accepted as part of
society.
“babbling our lingoes”
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. “Babbling”
could be seen as an example of onomatopoeia, with Nagra playing with these words and phrases to
continue the idea of multiple languages.
‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ Key Themes
Society and Culture: ‘Look We Have Coming to Dover!’ clearly addresses many societal ideas and
fears regarding immigration and cultures that are different or unfamiliar. The use of words from a
variety of languages and origins is an important way in which the merging of cultures is shown, while
the structure can be seen to represent cultural cycles.
Identity: British identity is explored through various iconic images and well known references, but
this idea of identity is also increasingly morphed by additional cultural identities. Descriptions such
as “swarms” take individuality out of those coming to the country, showing how identity can easily
be removed and stereotypes applied.
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.