Exiled, deported, expelled, emigrated: Iosif Brodsky

[Tamara]

Hi

I’m writing an essay about Joseph (Iosif) Brodsky, a Russian poet, 1940-96.
This is my homework.
Could you help me to choose the correct verbs?

Fact (among others):

• 1963, Iosif Brodsky was charged (formally for anti-social life style, in fact – for “decadence and modernism” of his poetry) and sent to Vorkuta (the North of Russia) for several years.

• 1972, he was expelled? from the USSR to the US, with denaturalisation (losing Soviet citizenship, fully)

1. Am I right supposing that the verb exile (was exiled) can be used in both cases, whereas deported – only in the second one?

2. Does the verb emigrate always implies ‘in accordance to own willing’ and is not suitable in this case?

3. In what cases/context the verb expel can be used? (My dictionary gives it as a suitable synonym, but it’s not a word from my active vocabulary…)

[Yankee]

Hi Tamara

Here are just a few thoughts (in blue). Maybe somebody else will have a more.

@Tamara

• 1963, Iosif Brodsky was charged (formally for anti-social life style, in fact – for “decadence and modernism” of his poetry) and sent to Vorkuta (the North of Russia) for several years.

• 1972, he was expelled? from the USSR to the US, with denaturalisation (losing Soviet citizenship, fully)

1. Am I right supposing that the verb exile (was exiled) can be used in both cases, whereas deported – only in the second one?
   For the first one you could also say “hel ived in exile in Vorkuta”.
   [color=blue]For the second one “was exiled” is the best choice.
   I’d say expel and deport would be mainly used when talking about the expulsion of someone from a country other than his native country. You could possibly use them here, but as I said, I think exile is the best word.

2. Does the verb emigrate always implies ‘in accordance to own willing’ and is not suitable in this case?
   [color=blue]Yes.
   If Brodsky was exiled from the USSR, then went to e.g. Germany, and after that went voluntarily to the US, then you could say that he emigrated (from Germany) to the USA .

3. In what cases/context the verb expel can be used? (My dictionary gives it as a suitable synonym, but it’s not a word from my active vocabulary…)
   [color=blue]For example:
   expelled from a (foreign) country
   expelled from the United Nations
   expelled from university/school
   expelled from a club/organization
   expelled from the courtroom

[Tamara]

Thank you, Amy.

Done
(with ‘was exiled’, two times)