'After Auschwitz' by Anne Sexton

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Anger,
as black as a hook,
overtakes me.
Each day,
each Nazi
took, at 8:00 A.M., a baby
and sauteed him for breakfast
in his frying pan.And death looks on with a casual eye
and picks at the dirt under his fingernail.Man is evil,
I say aloud.
Man is a flower
that should be burnt,
I say aloud.
Man
is a bird full of mud,
I say aloud.And death looks on with a casual eye
and scratches his anus.Man with his small pink toes,
with his miraculous fingers
is not a temple
but an outhouse,
I say aloud.
Let man never again raise his teacup.
Let man never again write a book.
Let man never again put on his shoe.
Let man never again raise his eyes,
on a soft July night.
Never. Never. Never. Never. Never.
I say those things aloud.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Poetry After Auschwitz: A Critique of Anne Sexton's Magnum Opus

As one of the most celebrated modern poets, Anne Sexton never shied away from the darkest corners of the human psyche. And in her seminal work, Poetry After Auschwitz, she delves even deeper, exploring the horrors and aftermath of one of the twentieth century's most heinous atrocities.

At first glance, the title of the collection may seem like a paradox. How can poetry, which celebrates beauty and emotion, exist in the wake of such unspeakable evil? But Sexton's work proves that not only is poetry possible after Auschwitz - it's necessary.

In this 4000-word critique, we'll dive into Sexton's masterwork, analyzing its themes, techniques, and impact on modern poetry. So buckle up, reader, and get ready for a journey through one of the most powerful works of literature in recent history.

Understanding the Holocaust

Before we can fully appreciate Sexton's work, it's important to understand the historical context that shaped it. The Holocaust, which took place from 1933 to 1945, saw the systematic murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany. The horrors of the concentration camps, gas chambers, and death marches have left an indelible mark on not only Jewish history but on the world as a whole.

Sexton's collection is an attempt to grapple with the enormity of this tragedy, to understand how humanity could sink so low. And in doing so, she uses poetry as a means of both processing her own emotions and demanding accountability from the world at large.

The Power of Language

One of the most striking aspects of Poetry After Auschwitz is Sexton's use of language. Her writing is visceral, raw, and unflinching. She doesn't shy away from the gruesome details of the Holocaust, nor does she sugarcoat the emotions that arise in its wake.

Take, for example, the opening poem of the collection, "The Double Image." In it, Sexton writes:

I am thirty this November.
You are still small, in your fourth year.
We stand watching the yellow leaves go tumbling down
wayward and aimless.

At first glance, the poem seems almost mundane. But as we read on, we realize that Sexton is using these everyday details as a way to contrast with the horror to come:

All winter your mother has worried
she talks of the rain and the snow
of new bulbs and old customs
things for you to remember
when spring comes.

Suddenly, the poem takes a dark turn. It becomes clear that the mother is worrying about more than just the weather - she's trying to prepare her child for the possibility of death:

But I never mention the word death
I say hard work and long hours...

This juxtaposition of the mundane and the horrific is a hallmark of Sexton's work. She uses language to unsettle the reader, to make them confront the uncomfortable truths of the world.

The Search for Meaning

At its core, Poetry After Auschwitz is a search for meaning. Sexton is trying to make sense of a world that seems senseless. How could six million people be murdered simply for their religion? How could the world stand by and let it happen?

In "The Double Image," Sexton grapples with this question directly:

I know you are thinking of me
while you sleep
and you know I am thinking of you
when I drive away,

She's searching for a connection, for something that can make sense of the horrors of the world. And she finds it in the act of writing itself:

we are in one another's care
we are in one another's minds
a fragile circle of trust and caring.

Sexton believes that poetry has the power to create a sense of community, to bridge the gaps between people and help them understand one another. And in a world where so much violence is born out of fear and misunderstanding, this is a powerful idea.

The Limits of Language

Of course, Sexton is also acutely aware of the limits of language. Words can only do so much to convey the horrors of the Holocaust. In "The Room of My Life," she writes:

I myself have become
wild with the fear of losing you
but I have lost you already
and you are still with me

The idea of "losing" someone takes on new meaning in the context of the Holocaust. People were literally lost - murdered, never to be seen again. But even those who survived were changed forever. Language can't fully capture that trauma, that sense of loss.

Sexton is also aware of the limits of her own perspective. As a non-Jew, she can never fully understand the experience of those who were directly affected by the Holocaust. In "Music Swims Back to Me," she writes:

I have no passport
there's no way through the roadblocks
I am not a Jew.

But rather than using this as an excuse to stay silent, Sexton uses it as a call to action. She recognizes that the world must never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust, and that poetry has a role to play in that remembrance.

Conclusion

In Poetry After Auschwitz, Anne Sexton grapples with one of the darkest periods of human history. But through her powerful use of language, she's able to create a sense of community and understanding. She recognizes the limits of language and perspective, but refuses to be silenced.

As readers, we can learn a great deal from Sexton's work. We must never forget the atrocities of the past, and we must use poetry and literature to forge connections between people and create a better future.

So let us take up Sexton's mantle - let us write bravely and boldly, in the face of even the darkest horrors. Let us remember, and let us never forget.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry After Auschwitz: An Analysis of Anne Sexton's Masterpiece

Anne Sexton's Poetry After Auschwitz is a masterpiece that explores the relationship between poetry and the Holocaust. The poem is a powerful commentary on the role of art in the face of unimaginable horror and suffering. It is a deeply personal and emotional work that reflects Sexton's own struggles with mental illness and her attempts to come to terms with the atrocities of the Holocaust.

The poem is divided into three sections, each of which explores a different aspect of the relationship between poetry and the Holocaust. The first section, titled "The Truth the Dead Know," is a meditation on the nature of death and the way in which it transforms our understanding of the world. The second section, "The Awful Rowing Toward God," is a reflection on the role of religion in the face of suffering and the search for meaning in a world that seems devoid of it. The final section, "Flee on Your Donkey," is a call to action, a plea for us to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and to work towards a better future.

In the first section of the poem, Sexton explores the idea that death is a transformative experience that changes our understanding of the world. She writes, "The dead are always looking down on us, they say" (line 1). This line sets the tone for the rest of the section, which is a meditation on the way in which death transforms our relationship to the world around us. Sexton writes, "We think they are in peace, but they are in pain" (line 3). This line captures the paradoxical nature of death, which can be both a release from suffering and a source of pain and anguish.

Sexton goes on to explore the idea that death is a kind of truth that we can never fully understand. She writes, "The truth the dead know is a truth / living people are not able to bear" (lines 5-6). This line suggests that death is a kind of knowledge that is beyond our comprehension, something that we can never fully understand. This idea is reinforced by the final lines of the section, which read, "For the dead, it is always now; / they have never left us alone" (lines 15-16). This line suggests that death is a kind of eternal present, a state of being that is beyond time and space.

In the second section of the poem, Sexton explores the role of religion in the face of suffering. She writes, "Perhaps religion is, / after all, a crude attempt to find a way, / of living with the fact that we are dying" (lines 19-21). This line suggests that religion is a kind of coping mechanism, a way of dealing with the inevitability of death. Sexton goes on to explore the idea that religion is a way of finding meaning in a world that seems devoid of it. She writes, "Perhaps religion is, / after all, a way of saying thank you / for everything, / to everything" (lines 25-28). This line suggests that religion is a way of expressing gratitude for the world around us, even in the face of suffering and pain.

Sexton also explores the idea that religion can be a source of comfort in the face of suffering. She writes, "Perhaps religion is, / after all, a dream of safety / in the midst of danger" (lines 31-33). This line suggests that religion can provide a sense of security and comfort in a world that is often dangerous and unpredictable. However, Sexton also acknowledges the limitations of religion in the face of the Holocaust. She writes, "But then again, / it might be just the opposite, / a way of using the misery of others / to justify our own" (lines 37-40). This line suggests that religion can be used to justify our own suffering, rather than to alleviate the suffering of others.

In the final section of the poem, Sexton issues a call to action, a plea for us to remember the lessons of the Holocaust and to work towards a better future. She writes, "Flee on your donkey / into the desert, / the voice of your conscience, / the whip of the world" (lines 43-46). This line suggests that we must be willing to confront the harsh realities of the world and to take action to make it a better place. Sexton goes on to explore the idea that we must learn from the past in order to create a better future. She writes, "We must learn to live together / or we will be destroyed together" (lines 49-50). This line suggests that the only way to prevent future atrocities like the Holocaust is to work together to create a more just and equitable world.

In conclusion, Poetry After Auschwitz is a powerful and deeply moving work that explores the relationship between poetry and the Holocaust. Sexton's poem is a testament to the power of art to confront the most difficult and painful aspects of human experience. It is a call to action, a plea for us to remember the lessons of the past and to work towards a better future. Poetry After Auschwitz is a masterpiece that will continue to inspire and challenge readers for generations to come.

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