How does the poet present emotion in ‘Our Town is Burning’ by Mordechai Gebirtig
In ‘Our Town is Burning’, Gebirtig presents emotion in a variety of ways. On the surface, the poem is about a fire that has intruded a village and is spreading, whilst many people stand and do nothing. However, there is a deeper meaning to the poem; it was written in 1936, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, when the Nazis were rising in popularity and power. The fire is a metaphor for the spread of hatred and anti-Semitism, as well as Nazi ideology. The poem portrays a range of powerful emotions, such as anger, resentment, guilt and betrayal- the poet feels frustrated that many people ‘turned a blind eye’ to the atrocities that were occurring during this time. Gebirtig employs various methods in order to convey these emotions, such as powerful imagery, the use of onomatopoeias, as well as repetition. This essay will examine the techniques used in the poem to generate the emotions of anger and hatred, as well as sadness and betrayal.
Firstly, Gebirtig uses powerful imagery to present dramatic emotion in the poem. Gebirtig likens the fire to ‘rabid tongues’ which are going to ‘consume each house entire’. ‘Rabid’ is a direct reference to rabies, a disease often spread by vermin and which is highly infectious. The poet is using this as a metaphor for the Nazi ideas which were infecting people and brain-washing them, very much like an infectious disease; it could also be referring to the spread of fear and hatred at the time. The poet possibly chose the reference of rabies because it typically comes from animals- this could be portraying how people were treated ‘like animals’ during the war or another interpretation could be a reference to the Nazis behaving ‘like animals’ in their treatment of the Jews. The poet is trying to convey the theme of hatred and anger through this metaphor, to reflect the frustration towards the way people were treated during this awful period of history.
Secondly, Gebirtig employs various figurative language techniques, such as onomatopoeias, to present different emotions. The poet describes the ‘smash and shatter’ as the fire rages through the village. These onomatopoeic words also create alliteration of the ‘s’ sound which is harsh, to reflect the harsh conditions many were living under during the Nazi persecution of the Jews, especially on nights like Kristallnacht where windows were literally smashed and shattered. Another interpretation is the hope and morale being shattered at the time, due to the atrocities of the Nazis. Gebirtig also uses personification as another figurative language device to portray the emotion of anger. He describes the ‘evil winds full of anger’, which reflects the poet’s frustration and rage at the people who ‘stand there looking on’ and turned a blind eye to what was going on.
Lastly, Gebirtig uses rhythm and structure to convey emotion effectively in the poem. The poet uses repetition to create feelings of togetherness and social responsibility, as well as feelings of resentment, guilt and betrayal. The poem repeats ‘it’s burning brothers, it’s burning’ which symbolises brotherhood and also togetherness and community. The poet specifically calls the villagers ‘brothers’ to imply they should see each other as family and that they therefore have a responsibility for each other. This suggests the poet is angry that the community is not coming together and is trying to create a sense of guilt. The line ‘futile folded arms’ is also heavily repeated throughout the poem; the word ‘futile’ means pointless, so this orchestrates the poet’s resentment at the pointless efforts of the people of the village. This is a direct reference to the anti-Semitism at the time and how many people did not try to stop it and just allowed it continue. The poet feels a sense of betrayal by her fellow ‘brothers’ because they are not helping ‘douse the fire’. The repetition of these ideas emphasises the point but also creates a rhythm and beat to the poem. This was obviously intentional because the poet was also a songwriter and so the poem is mean to be song-like; this helps explain why the poem became popular during the war and was sung in many ghettos and camps in defiance of the Nazis and their horrific actions during the war.
In conclusion, Gebirtig presents emotion in a variety of ways. These techniques range from powerful imagery and strong metaphors, through to onomatopoeias, personification and repetition. The metaphors used all work together to send a powerful message; I believe Gebirtig wanted to convey the idea of togetherness and family, but also that battles cannot be won in isolation. There is a strong feeling of betrayal and henceforth, severe anger; the poet feels let down because this community of ‘brothers’ has turned their back on him during the biggest time of need. The poem has a dramatic effect on the reader because of the powerful emotions conveyed. We as the reader feels sadness and sympathy for the poet because of the betrayal he feels, but also feel fearful in case we are ever in a similar position, where we are abandoned by the people that are closest to us. The poem is highly emotive and makes the reader reflect; we think about war, conflict (and particularly the holocaust), but also the ethical dilemma of bystanders. We are able to sympathise with these people because it was likely fear that prevented them from acting. However, the feelings of betrayal and resentment are arguably the most powerful in the poem, so the reader is also left reflecting on the role that bystanders played in the war; possibly bravery, courage and social responsibility should have triumphed over fear, hatred and evil.