Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"He Comes for the Jewish Family, 1942" by Sharon Olds poignantly captures the harrowing experience of a Jewish family during the Holocaust, focusing on the visceral fear and helplessness they felt as a German soldier arrived to take them away. The poem delves into the intimate and devastating moments of realization and dread, underscored by the soldier's palpable hatred and the family's deep awareness of their fate.

The poem opens with a stark, almost resigned acknowledgment: "When the German came, they knew he would take them." This line immediately sets a tone of inevitability and fatalism, emphasizing the family's acute awareness of the threat posed by the Nazi regime. The family feels the soldier's hatred as a physical sensation, described as "a kind of wax spread over their skin." This metaphor captures the chilling, suffocating presence of fear and revulsion that permeates their encounter with the soldier. It conveys a sense of being coated in something unnatural and cold, a palpable manifestation of the dehumanization they experience under his gaze.

Olds contrasts the family's feelings with those of the soldier, noting that "they didn't hate anything like that, not even the pig, who was merely unclean." This comparison highlights the extremity of the soldier's hatred, which transcends mere distaste or religious taboo, suggesting an irrational and deep-seated animosity. The family's understanding of this hatred makes them aware of the potential for violence and cruelty, symbolized by the "trucks" they had heard about and the "passion" they could smell in the soldier's desire to deport them. The mention of the trucks alludes to the infamous transportation of Jews to concentration camps, a grim fate that hangs over the family.

The poem then shifts focus to the family's daughter, depicted as holding "her music in her hand, the page covered with dots and lines like some dark language." The sheet music symbolizes not only her innocence and the cultural heritage she embodies but also the incomprehensible loss the family faces. The music, a language of beauty and expression, stands in stark contrast to the brutality of the soldier's actions and the "dark language" of hate and destruction he represents.

As the soldier approaches, the family instinctively understands the peril they are in, even if they cannot fully comprehend the specifics of their fate. The line "their bodies even knew about the camps" suggests a deep, primal fear and an almost prophetic sense of doom. The imagery of "his gold hair smoking" evokes a sinister transformation, perhaps alluding to the fires of the crematoria or the smoldering remains of lives and dreams destroyed by the Holocaust. This powerful image reinforces the idea that the soldier is an agent of death, bringing an end to their world.

The poem reaches a climax with the soldier's unexpected act of violence: he picks up the daughter's cello and smashes it against the fireplace. The cello, described as having a "dark lovely body shape," becomes a potent symbol of the family's cultural identity and the beauty of their humanity. The destruction of the instrument is not just a physical act but a metaphor for the annihilation of their spirit and heritage. The "amber satiny wood" being "crushed" by the "brickwork" symbolizes the brutal and senseless destruction of something precious and irreplaceable.

The family's reaction—standing and staring in terror—captures their utter helplessness in the face of this senseless violence. The poem leaves readers with a powerful image of a family paralyzed by fear, unable to intervene as their world is shattered before their eyes.

"He Comes for the Jewish Family, 1942" is a haunting exploration of the terror and helplessness experienced by Jewish families during the Holocaust. Sharon Olds masterfully conveys the depth of human fear and the cruelty of hatred through vivid and poignant imagery. The poem serves as a powerful reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust and the profound impact of dehumanization and violence on individuals and families. Through the intimate portrayal of this family's final moments, Olds captures the universal themes of loss, fear, and the destruction of innocence.

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