Today I began my research for my assessment task. I chose to research poems written during the Holocaust or about the Holocaust. I picked this topic because this era holds a lot of interest for me and I love learning about this time. Furthermore, due to the task being about powerful voices, I felt as if the people who lived through this time and tell these poems, really capture that power. These stories send powerful messages and inspire thousands.
After researching poems from this time I found two poems which really spoke to me. The first one is ‘First They came for the Communists’ by Martin Niemöller. I chose this poem because it really clearly describes the sequence of events that occurred during the Holocaust, and how the community didn’t intervene or speak out because they didn’t feel as if it affected them.
The second poem I chose was Alexander Kimel’s ‘The Action in the Ghetto of Rohatyn.’ I chose this poem because it provides a first-hand insight into life in a ghetto. Not only was it an insightful poem but also a beautifully written poem. The poem is such a well-written and captivating poem, that the reader cannot help but keep reading.
The next step of this assessment is researching the poets’ times and lives. To prepare for this I will go to the library at recess to borrow books on Nazi Germany, from both bystander’s and victim’s perspectives.