Auschwitz 25th January 2005 Comments

In many cases, Poetry Hound is right and poetry on this subject leaves a bad taste of dissatisfaction. Yours however strikes me as unassuming and powerful in its own way. We do need reminding. I particularly like your deepening reference to Levi and your use of repetition. Linda

You write well, but I don't like this poem. Auschitz and the holocaust more broadly are very difficult to write about in a poetic way. It's almost as if they are too huge for mere poems, and that by writing poems you diminish them. There also can be an unintended ghoulish or voyueristic aspect to poems about someone else's tragedy. Don't take this personally. I frequently feel this way about poems like this.