'Questions From A Worker Who Reads' by Bertolt Brecht

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1935Who built Thebes of the seven gates?
In the books you will find the names of kings.
Did the kings haul up the lumps of rock?
And Babylon, many times demolished
Who raised it up so many times? In what houses
of gold-glittering Lima did the builders live?
Where, the evening that the Wall of China was finnished
Did the masons go? Great Rome
Is full of triumphal arches. Who erected them? Over whom
Did the Caesars triumph? Had Byzantium, much praised in song
Only palaces for its inhabitans? Even in fabled Atlantis
The night the ocean engulfed it
The drowning still bawled for their slaves.The young Alexander conquered India.
Was he alone?
Caesar beat the Gauls.
Did he not have even a cook with him?Philip of Spain wept when his armada
Went down. Was he the only one to weep?
Frederick the Second won the Seven Year's War. Who
Else won it?Every page a victory.
Who cooked the feast for the victors?
Every ten years a great man?
Who paid the bill?So many reports.
So many questions.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Questions from a Worker Who Reads: A Marxist Perspective on Bertolt Brecht's Poem

Bertolt Brecht's poem "Questions from a Worker Who Reads" is a powerful political commentary on the social and economic conditions of his time. Written in 1935, in the midst of the Great Depression and rising fascism, this poem is a call to action for the working class to awaken to their own exploitation and fight for their rights.

As a Marxist, Brecht believed that literature and art should serve the interests of the working class and promote social change. In this essay, I will analyze Brecht's poem from a Marxist perspective, exploring the themes of alienation, exploitation, and class struggle.

Alienation and the Dehumanization of Labor

The first stanza of the poem sets the tone for the rest of the piece:

Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?

Here, Brecht questions the traditional narratives of history that glorify the ruling class while ignoring the contributions of the working class. He asks who really built the magnificent structures of the ancient world, and suggests that it was likely the workers who actually did the physical labor.

This theme of alienation and the dehumanization of labor runs throughout the poem. Brecht asks:

In the construction of the Great Wall, where did the masons go?

He implies that the workers who built the wall were likely discarded and forgotten once their labor was no longer required.

Brecht also questions the value of intellectual labor:

Who designed the three-headed bridge at Syracuse?
In the books you will find the names of kings.
Did the kings pick up the lute to balance the arches?

He suggests that the architects and engineers who designed the bridge were likely not the kings whose names are recorded in history. Instead, it was the workers who actually built the bridge who were responsible for its success.

Brecht's poem highlights the ways in which labor is dehumanized and workers are treated as mere cogs in a machine. He describes the degrading conditions of labor:

A man puts on a clean shirt every Sunday.
The rest of the week he works in a factory.

The worker is forced to sacrifice his own humanity and become a mere machine in order to survive. This theme of alienation is central to Marxist thought, as it reflects the ways in which capitalism separates workers from the products of their labor and from each other.

Exploitation and Class Struggle

Brecht's poem not only highlights the dehumanizing effects of labor, but also points to the root cause of this exploitation: capitalism. He writes:

Who pays for the soup in the soup-kitchen?
The capitalists.

Here, Brecht suggests that even the charitable acts of the ruling class are ultimately motivated by self-interest. The capitalists provide soup to the poor not out of the goodness of their hearts, but because they understand that a hungry and desperate working class is more likely to accept their exploitation.

Brecht also criticizes the false promises of capitalism:

Who built the seven towers of Thebes?
The books are filled with the names of kings.
Was it the kings who forged the chains of those who built the towers?

He suggests that the promises of wealth and success under capitalism are illusory, and that the ruling class benefits from the exploitation of the working class.

Furthermore, Brecht recognizes the importance of class struggle in achieving social change. He writes:

Who fought in the Battle of Marathon?
The names of kings are over-glorified in the books of history.
Did the slaves fight for the Greeks at Marathon?

Here, he highlights the role of the oppressed in fighting for their own liberation. The slaves who fought at Marathon were not fighting for the glory of the ruling class, but for their own freedom. Brecht suggests that true change can only come from the collective action of the working class, rather than from the benevolent actions of the ruling class.

Conclusion

Brecht's poem "Questions from a Worker Who Reads" is a powerful Marxist critique of capitalist society. Through his use of rhetorical questions and vivid imagery, Brecht highlights the ways in which labor is dehumanizing and the working class is exploited. He points to the root cause of this exploitation as capitalism, and emphasizes the importance of collective action in achieving social change.

As a Marxist reading of the poem, this analysis is not merely an interpretation of the text, but a call to action. Brecht's poem is an urgent plea for the working class to awaken to their own exploitation and to fight for their own liberation. It is a reminder that literature and art can be powerful tools for social change, and that the interests of the working class must always be at the forefront of our artistic and political endeavors.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Questions From A Worker Who Reads: A Marxist Analysis

Bertolt Brecht’s “Poetry Questions From A Worker Who Reads” is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that challenges the traditional role of poetry in society. Brecht, a Marxist playwright and poet, uses this poem to critique the elitist nature of poetry and to argue for a more socially conscious and politically engaged form of art.

The poem is structured as a series of questions posed by a worker who reads poetry. The worker is skeptical of the value of poetry and asks a series of pointed questions that challenge the traditional view of poetry as a lofty and inaccessible art form. The poem begins with the worker asking, “What times are these when / A conversation / Is almost a crime because it includes / So much old poetry?”

This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. The worker is questioning the relevance of poetry in a world that is plagued by social and political turmoil. The use of the word “crime” suggests that the worker sees poetry as a luxury that is only accessible to the privileged few. This sentiment is echoed in the second stanza when the worker asks, “Why do you, poets, / Speak of the flowers? / Oh, tell us / About the machine guns!”

This question is a direct challenge to the traditional role of poetry. In the past, poets have often focused on nature and beauty, using their art to escape from the harsh realities of the world. However, the worker is demanding that poets engage with the world around them and address the issues that affect the working class. The use of the phrase “machine guns” is particularly powerful, as it highlights the violence and oppression that the working class faces on a daily basis.

The worker’s skepticism of poetry is further reinforced in the third stanza when they ask, “What kind of times are these / When to talk about trees is almost a crime / Because it implies silence about so many horrors?” This question highlights the tension between the beauty of nature and the ugliness of the world. The worker is suggesting that poets who focus on nature are ignoring the suffering of the working class and are complicit in the oppression that they face.

Brecht’s use of rhetorical questions is particularly effective in this poem. By framing the worker’s skepticism as a series of questions, Brecht is able to challenge the traditional role of poetry in a way that is both powerful and thought-provoking. The worker’s questions are not just critiques of poetry, but are also calls to action. The worker is demanding that poets use their art to address the social and political issues of the day.

The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful. The worker asks, “Who built the seven gates of Thebes? / The books are filled with names of kings. / Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?” This question is a direct challenge to the traditional view of history. The worker is suggesting that the stories we tell about the past are often distorted and ignore the contributions of the working class. The use of the word “craggy” to describe the blocks of stone is particularly effective, as it highlights the physical labor that went into building the gates of Thebes.

Overall, Brecht’s “Poetry Questions From A Worker Who Reads” is a powerful critique of the traditional role of poetry in society. Brecht is arguing for a more socially conscious and politically engaged form of art that addresses the issues faced by the working class. The use of rhetorical questions is particularly effective in this poem, as it challenges the reader to think critically about the role of poetry in society. This poem is a reminder that art has the power to inspire change and that poets have a responsibility to use their art to address the social and political issues of the day.

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