What is the value of Holocaust poetry?

The famous Jewish-German sociologist Theodor Adorno, who fled the Nazi regime for England in 1934, proclaimed shortly after the war that writing poetry after Auschwitz seemed barbaric (Adorno, Theodor W. 1983. “Cultural Criticism and Society.” In Prisms, 17–34. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, p. 34).

In his view, words in any artistic configuration were doomed to distort the harsh experiences of victims and survivors, constituting some kind of disfigurement of truth. He later modified his initial position with the passing of time. Adorno’s vision expressed his fear for the trivialisation of the Holocaust.

Enriching the memory

The memory of the Holocaust has also been invaluably enriched by poets providing us with a window into a period that is very difficult to comprehend. Numerous Holocaust-related anthologies have been published in many languages in recent years, and these poems can often be an excellent educational resource.

It has been said that what the historian achieves in a book, the poet presents in 10 or 20 lines. Poetry can say more in less and sometimes more succinctly. When a poem adheres, a truth has been stated. That truth is the poet’s own experience and poetry can often awaken empathy and strike a chord with readers.