Flag and At the border both are about how war can force people to leave their home or die to defend it shows what home means to people both poems are actually about the end of a conflict flag is when the a piece of cloth brings a nation to its knees and the border is about a refugee returning to their home country after a long conflict as she waits ‘at the border’ to return.

Flag is a poem about the power of a nation symbol on a piece of cloth that can make people fight each other for it or die for it and overpower whole countries in the poem the narrator says “its just a piece of cloth that brings nations to its knees” this shows the narrator understands and fears the Flag himself. The second stanza reference to the Flag “its just a piece of cloth that makes the guts of men grow bold.” this shows many things about why people fight for it because it makes them feel like its worth dying and killing for with no mercy to anyone not on their side the third stanza encourages this further by saying “dares a coward to relent” this shows that anyone will fight to defend their homeland against invaders also many people will have other motives such as family and friends to protect innocent people who cant defend themselves. Flag’s last two stanzas are about the effect the flag has on those who fight for it and how it will outlive