High Holy Days, By Jane Shore

In “High Holy Days” by Jane Shore the idea of innocent youth awakening from a slumber for the first time is conveyed at a rate of infinite constancy from beginning to end. At the poem opens the tone of the speaker is childish and picayune. Throughout the eloquent stanzas filled with reminisces of the speaker, the tone becomes passionate and valiant. The writer, Jane Shore, awakens the speaker to her reality as a Jewish woman living in a world that does not condone her religion.

As the poem begins it is seemingly unimportant and petty. A child complains of her wool winter suit that was “a size too large” (2) and sits in competent silence knowing the High Holy Days are a part of tradition that she must sit through and endure with patience

These sacred pieces light the flame into the speaker’s passion for her religion in many ways. She begins to pay more attention and really contemplate why she is on earth? What is she here to do in

Now that she has spilt blood during the High Holy Days she is sacrificing for God and her religion. She has an epiphany that she must be “a Chosen One” (54) and a “child to lead your tribe” (55) meaning that it is up to her to bring light upon the injustices of Jews. Here the speaker has her awakening, which results in both happiness and pain. She is proud of her religion and culture but at the same time she understands the harsh reality of the outside, Non-Jewish world filled with hate. The attitude of the speaker goes from one of observation and childish thoughts (such as her preoccupation with her wool winter suit that "scratched" and was "a size to large") to realization and overall growth. The tone does so as well. She goes from noticing small things such as "alabaster satin jackets" (16) to having the notion that she has to "defend them against the broken windows" (59) referring to the acts of violence committed by Nazis while destroying Jewish