The technique used by the poet is a mix of blues and ballad . Auden had mixed the two together to bring out the main political situation which was prevalent at the time, and which showed the pathetic condition of Jewish refugees who were homeless and lived in constant fear of death. The first two lines of every stanza rhyme and the third line is repetitive represents the style of blues lyrics. The use of refrain is used to bring about the realization of the harsh truth of the narrator's and his lover's plight.