 |
 |
|
"With My Grandfather" by Zelda and "The Death of My Father" by Yehuda Amichai are two poems whose main topic is the loss of a loved one. Both poems contain expressions that question faith in God as a result of loss and death. Both poems deal with the individual and not the Jewish nation and Zionism - the collective whole which the writers before the modern period talked about.However, both poems are built differently: In the original version of "The Death of My Father" (in Hebrew) there are rhymes which make it a bit lighter to read. The contrast of the serious topic, death, with the light style of writing creates an ironic atmosphere. "With My Grandfather" uses a much more lyrical, sentimental tone, speaking of God in a serious way; showing a deep belief in God.
In the poem "The Death of My Father", God is presented in a mocking tone and shown as a human being who "has hung His coat on the hook of the moon". This image sounds as if it is seen through the eyes of a child. On the other hand, in the poem "With My Grandfather", the grandfather's belief in God is strong and remains with him in spite of his hard life: "outside they roared: there is no justice, no judge. And in the shambles of his room, angels sang of the Heavenly Jerusalem". Even though the reality outside is frozen and everyone outside is crying out not to believe, Zelda's grandfather continues to believe and long for the Messiah.
Yehuda Amichai's poem talks about death, how Amichai relates to his father's death and what it symbolizes to him. In contrast, Zelda's poem describes life, how in spite of death and violence one continues to believe and look forward to the continuation of life.
Chen & Naomi
Literature
Exchange
About
Yehuda Amichai
Zelda
Comparing the Poems
Modern
Israeli Poetry
Sources & Links
Credits
