Peter Skrzyneckis poem, Migrant Hostel features _______ concepts of belonging through the reflections of Skrzyneckis like in crowded

lodge. The first stanza suggests a sense of transience and instability as the migrants find it difficult to grasp a solid connection to this new, foreign society. The consonance in, No one kept count / Of all the comings and goings, accents the detached ck sound, creating a staccato rhythm which figuratively coincides with the migrants isolation and dissolution in society. The accretion of transient nouns, comings and goings, displays an image of volatility and insecurity which stop the migrants from integrating and finding a sense of place as they are forced to constantly move from house to house. It is only when they are with people of the same nationality that they feel culturally connected. A moment of belonging and familiarity is created in the second stanza when the migrants affiliate with people from their own country. The simile, Nationalities sought / Each other out instinctively - / Like a homing pigeon / Circling to find its bearings, establishes a bird motif to emblematise the cultural homogeneity as they try to assimilate into society. However, Skrzynecki compares the migrants to birds to highlight their vulnerability and dependence on group instinct as they continuously travel, never being able to completely belong to Australia. Instead, they find comfort in connecting with people of the same nationality as it provides them with a sense of cultural belonging during this though time. The use of the word circle further emphasises the migrants enduring battle, as a circle has no beginning or end, thus evincing the infinite struggle to belong. This eternal struggle is also signified through Skrzyneckis view of the hostel. The simile, A barrier / Sealed off the highway / As it rose and fell like a finger pointed reprimand, reveals the migrants exclusion and dissociation in the environment, as the hostel is a barrier to belonging and assimilating into Australian society. Skrzynecki personifies the barrier to denote its power over the migrants, comparing it to a finger which reflects the accusatory nature of the hostel. The barrier is a physical symbol of the detachment from Australian society as the migrants are disempowered by authority figures, making them feel guilty for being a foreinger. They are therefore kept from integrating into society as the battle to belong is inevitable.