Critical Essay Flashcards
Night, night again
Sentence structure
abrupt short opening to sentence
repetition here emphasises that something is being repeated in this place when night falls
Night.
Short sentence
word choice
connotations of darkness
sinister atmosphere
Grim sky
Word choice
sky is a severe and a sense of foreboding is created, connotations of the "grim reaper" - a traditional character/figure who represents death- the one who decides when it is our turn to die
this represents how powerless the prisoners are when it comes to their own demise - it is almost inevitable
atmosphere
therefore even the sky over this place seems to be merciless and sinister
Fog descends over Birkenau
gods judgement passed over inmates- the fog comes down from above almost like a verdict or a sentence passed on a criminal
however the poet could also be describing the smoke that was omitted from the chimneys of the ovens that burned the bodies, this may have looked rather like fog and was a clear indication that another disposal was being made
The corpse of the earth
This place has become morally bankrupt - by referring to all of the bodies as one large corpse suggests the mass scale killing, but perhaps tells us about the dehumanised nature of those running the camp.
They did not see the people as people at all, but more like cargo.
My eyes are poisoned from sleep
Metaphor /other imagery
imagery highlights a clear sense of Borowski's physical and emotional suffering is continued in the description of his attempts to sleep
however there is no relief for him as Borowski reveal that reflecting the horrors that he has witnessed
the persona has nightmares about working in the death camp, preparing prisoners for "showers" and removing the tangled heaps of bodies and putting them into furnaces
Night, night without end
sentence structure
repetition of "night" which parallels the poems opening lines - it is an effective conclusion as the poem comes full circle, just like the days and nights of Borowski's experiences
this repetition helps to emphasise the endless nature of night and suffering contained with it
Crushing
word choice
however this "crushing" could be suggesting the guilt that Borowski feels for still being alive when so many million are dead - there must have been a sense of guilt for those who survived partly because of what it took to survive in the camp
This lead foot is crushing my chest
Word choice
he feels he is carrying the burden of the suffering of the "3 million dead"
he is fully aware of slaughter on a mass scale at the hands of the Nazi's, since the "lead foot" refers not just to the dead but also the oppressors who have caused all this suffering
Breath rattles in my throat
Onomatopoeia
Borowski describes his own physical suffering with this environment and it is taking a damaging toll on his body
Sleep is a stone
metaphor/other imagery
connotates a weight/heaviness
it is also suggested that sleep offers no relief or escape but instead offers a period of silence
Steamy stifling
Suggests heat powerful enough to overcome a person leaving them struggling to breathe. There is a strong sense of suffocation and claustrophobia in this line, created by heat and perhaps the sickening smell that would have been created in the camp
The eyes of the crematorium blaze
Personification
the bodies are burned and the poet is horrified by this
personification is effective because it reminds us of the idea of hell and being surrounded by fire
Transports growl
Personification
comparison of trains to a wild animal has connotations of something threatening and ferocious- a beastly presence in the camp which is indicative of the evil that is taking place everyday
by bringing to life the inanimate object and depicting it as a monster like this is effective in implying that the trains are wild beats making threatening noises
and like a shield abandoned in battle, Blue Orion- lost amongst the stars
Simile
the darkness it is difficult to see Orion, the constellation of stars known as "The Hunter"
this is because the sky is not clear- and this is maybe because of the fog but perhaps but the poet is implying that the dust from the ovens at the camp was blocking out the light from the stars
the poet is suggesting Orion has been killed and is lying amongst a heap of dead bodies, the idea that the prisoners are alone without a saviour is alluded to here
