clearly addresses many societal ideas and fears regarding immigration and cultures that are different or unfamiliar. This also enables a broad range of interesting comparative points with other poems from the ‘Poems of the Decade’ collection. The structure of each stanza is identical, and if turned sideways resembles waves, forming a shape-poem. 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.

One can’t help but wonder how this initial impression of England contrasted with that the immigrants might’ve expected. 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. 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.The poem begins with the speaker describing the terrifying arrival into Dover There is nothing beautiful about this scene. I always enjoy poetry with a touch of fiction or drama about it -- the sort that introduces characters and makes them come alive, and tells stories or at least parts of stories, and keeps us entertained. I have had the honour of profiting from my good friend Daljit's teachings for a number of months now at my secondary school and would go so far as to say I am the finest student in the class, a muse if you will. The speaker highlights the struggles of immigrant life: the lack of official documentation, the difficulty of finding work and housing, and the threat of violence and deportation. It is a hard life they are living as they are stuck between the dark spotlight of night and the hope of the sun.

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. This could therefore be interpreted as a criticism of those who are see immigration as hugely detrimental or even dangerous.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. They can be seen from the start with the contrast between the arrival of the immigrant and the presence of the tourists. 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. Tagged with Conflict, Daljit Nagra, Edexcel, English, English Literature, Identity, Look We Have Coming to Dover! 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.