Requiem: Poetry Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Janeczko, Paul B. Requiem:
Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. Melrose Park, IL: Candlewick Press. ISBN-13:
978-0-7636-4727-8
SUMMARY/ANALYSIS
Paul B. Janeczko’s Requiem:
Poems of the Terezin Ghetto is an emotional collection of insightful poetry
and illustrations created and/or inspired by historical victims of the
Holocaust. This hauntingly beautiful collection presents poetry about and from
characters created to represent actual historical people, both concentration
camp inmates and those who actively participated in the extermination of these
individuals (such as SS officers). Using historical documents, information, and
illustrations found through his research of the Terezin collection and
transportation Holocaust camp, Janeczko creates chilling depictions of life at
the Terezin camp, evoking feelings of despair, hope, pain, confusion, love, and
more. This collection, in many ways, plays in to peoples’ morbid curiosity of
such events, but also serves to bring these individuals to life in a relatable
way. The reader is thrust into this camp, reading and gaining insight into the
life of the Terezin inmates and those who worked there and were in charge.
These evocative poems do not follow a rhyming poetry format
but are written in such a way that it feels as if the audience is reading the
minds of the subjects of these poems. These poems provide insight into their
inner thoughts, emotions, despair, and hopes, giving them a more relatable a
realistic tone. These poems cover a large variation of topics, ranging from
emotional pain, to thoughts of freedom, to the SS soldiers attempts to reason
the validity of what they are doing. In addition, these poems do not have
creative poem titles, as many poems do, but instead provide the name of the
subject of the poem, or at times no title at all. Accompanying these poems are authentic
illustrations created by the inmates of Terezin. These images serve to provide
further insight into the true situation of their stay at Terezin, and work well
to compliment the poems. One such example of a short poem and historic
illustration can be found on page 89 of this collection. This poem has no title,
and is written as follows:
Blue
sky
beyond
barbed
wire.
I wish
I were
sky.
The poem is a shorter one, yet powerful in what it has to
say. This simple poem evokes the feeling of being trapped and longing for
freedom outside of Terezin. This poem is accompanied by a historic sketch illustration.
The illustration does not provide the title in the book, but the end of the
book provides a list of the sources, and this illustration is called “The One
Left Behind” by Fritz Lederer (1946). This drawing is linked perfectly with
this poem, as it depicts an inmate, most likely male, who is pressed against the
barbed wire fence, looking outward at freedom. This powerful illustration conjures
feelings of desperation and longing, and the rough sketch with textured, heavy
strokes helps to reflect these feelings. The dark, neutral tones convey a somber
mood, and also adds to feeling of longing for freedom and escape from this
place.
In addition to the poems and historic illustrations, this
book provides a small afterword that provides historically accurate information
about the Terezin fortress town and camp, informing the reader of the historical
events that took place within this location. There is also a section, the “Author’s
Note”, where author Paul B. Janeczko shares his research and composition
experiences. Following this, the next few pages contain resources, DVDs, and
websites used during Janeczko’s research, as well as a page translating foreign
words and a page providing the art credits. This collection would be a tremendous
asset within a history classroom covering aspects of the Holocaust and good be
used for an assortment of assignments and historical lessons.
POEM PLUS “TAKE 5” ACTIVITIES
One example of an insightful poem found within this
collection is the poems about the subject name Trude Reimer, inmate number
33456. This poem is reflective of the inmate’s inner thoughts about freedom and
what their temporary freedom felt like, linking it to that of a free, wild cat.
The poem also provides the reader with awareness of what it was truly like within
Terezin, providing emotions and descriptions of the crowded ghetto full of the
smell of decay and despair, fear and death.
Trude
Reimer/33456
I was a cat
with cat freedom
even if for only thirty minutes
even if I spoke but two lines
before it was back to the barracks
overcrowded with the stink of bodies
the stink of fear
the stink of death.
But for those few minutes
I was free as any cat.
Take 5
Activities
1. Read the
poem aloud to the group, having them concentrate on the message of the poem.
2. Reread
aloud to the group, having the children read every line involving the link to
freedom as a cat aloud. Guide them along with this.
3. Discuss
the poem’s comparison of freedom to a cat. Why can cats be seen as completely
free? Ask the group for their reasons and examples.
4. Pair this
poem with a picture book about thinking of freedom, such as the book Dreams of
Freedom by Amnesty International (Frances Lincoln Children’s Bks, 2015). What
is the book saying about thinking and hoping for freedom? How does this compare
to the poem?
5. Link this
with another poem about fleeting moments of freedom such as the poem “Childhood
Without Constraints” by Saksham T (https://www.tell-a-tale.com/childhood-without-constraints-poem/). What
does this poem say about the fleeting freedom of childhood?
Comments
Post a Comment