The Action In The Ghetto Of Rohatin Summary

The poem “The action in the ghetto of Rohatyn, March 1942” by Alexander Kimel is an amazing literary work which makes the reader understand the time period of the Holocaust providing vivid details. Kimel lived in an “unclean” area called the ghetto, where people were kept away from German civilians. The poet describes and questions himself using repetition and rhetorical questions. He uses literary devices such as repetition, comparisons, similes and metaphors to illustrate the traumatizing atmosphere he was living in March 1942.

The opening of the poem commences when he uses the repetitive question “Do I want to remember? (Line 1).” That is used at the beginning of each stanza, emphasizing that the memories still hurt and the poet expresses that he is disturbed about these remembrances that shadow him and cannot be forgotten. He then, provides detailed description of how he cannot forget what happened. In general, the poem is organized question and answer. First, he begins to ask himself if he wants to remember when the ghetto was a peaceful place before they were invaded making reference to the Germans when the holocaust was in its early arising. The author mentions that children were cold and mothers were looking for food which makes the reader

The author speaks metaphorically because the people were condemned to death for instance, he said the world was upside down because it is not right to kill people just because of their religion. The best example to illustrate this idea is when Kimel states: “where the departed are blessed with an instant death.” Referring to the world in disorder, is the place that the author is discussing in this line. At the end of the stanza Kimel states that he has to remember, and never let you forget. Which means that he wanted to share his heartbreaking history, to make people understand that the author lived a nightmare during the year of