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Poetry and the Holocaust

Explore personal accounts of the Holocaust through poetry and discover how poems can help you understand events of the past.

2,276 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Study Holocaust poetry to better comprehend this dark period in history

On this course, you’ll understand the events of the Holocaust and World War II through poetry which underlines the individual experience.

Created by the International School for Holocaust Studies at Yad Vashem, this course delves into poems that comment on many different aspects of WWII.

You’ll learn about this dark era in human history through the words of people who experienced it and understand how the Holocaust scarred the 20th Century.

You’ll discover some of the challenges posed by the Nazi regime and learn about what life was like for people living under German occupation.

What topics will you cover?

  • Introduction to the Holocaust
  • Introduction to poetry
  • Poems written in the ghetto 
  • Poems written in concentration camps 
  • Poems written by Jewish and non-Jewish survivors

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Reflect on specific poems from a wide variety of poets on different aspects of the Holocaust
  • Explore an interesting way of analyzing human behavior that makes up our world
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of the world of poetry through the thoughts of famous literary luminaries
  • Develop historical knowledge of the Holocaust

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for those interested in poetry as well as the history of WWII.

The course will also be useful for history and literature teachers who’d like to use poetry as a way of teaching this subject.

Who will you learn with?

An educator for 25 years in the Israeli school system, presently working at Yad Vashem with groups and writing materials for the website.

Dr Yossi Kugler is a project manager, content developer and educator at Yad Vashem's International School for Holocaust Studies

Who developed the course?

Yad Vashem

As the Jewish people’s living memorial to the Holocaust, Yad Vashem safeguards the memory of the past and imparts its meaning for future generations.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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