The Little Boy with His Hands Up
By Yala Korwin
Your open palms raised in the air
like two white doves
frame your meager face,
your face contorted with fear,
grown old with knowledge beyond your years.
Not yet ten. Eight? Seven?
Not yet compelled to mark your Jewishness with a blue star on a white badge.No need to brand the very young.
They will meekly follow their mothers.You stand apart, blank and resigned.
All the torments of this harassed crowd are written on your face.
In your dark eyes is a vision of horror.
You have seen death already on the ghetto streets, haven’t you?
Do you recognize it in the emblems of the SS man facing you with his camera?Like a lost lamb you stand apart and forlorn, beholding your own fate.
Where is your mother, little boy?
Is she the woman glancing over her shoulder at the gunmen at the bunker’s entrance?
Is it she who lovingly, though in haste, buttoned your coat, straightened your cap, and pulled up your socks?
Is it her dream of you—her dream of a future Einstein, a Spinoza, another Heine or Halévy?
Will they murder you soon?
Or are you already orphaned?
Even if you still have a mother, she won’t be allowed to comfort you in her arms.Her tired arms, loaded with useless bundles, must remain raised in submission.
Alone you will march among other lonely wretches toward your martyrdom.
Your image will remain with us, grow and grow, to immense proportions, to haunt the callous world, to accuse it with ever stronger voice, in the name of the million youngsters who lie, pitiful rag‑dolls, with their eyes forever closed.
Summary of The Little Boy with His Hands Up
- Popularity of “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” – The poem “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” by Yala Korwin, a distinguished Polish poet and writer, is a profoundly tragic work centered on the horrors of the Holocaust. First appearing in her 1987 collection, To Tell the Story—Poems of the Holocaust, the poem vividly depicts the suffering endured by Jewish people during this dark period. It serves as a haunting reminder of a tragedy that continues to resonate today and highlights the injustice faced because of their identity. The poem’s unique perspective, seen through the eyes of a child, adds to its emotional impact.
- “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” as a Representative of Sadness – Written with a compassionate voice, the poem focuses on an innocent Jewish child on the brink of unimaginable devastation. The writer portrays the boy’s fear and anxiety, comparing him to a vulnerable lamb awaiting his fate. The narrator expresses deep pity, questioning the whereabouts of his mother and imagining her helplessness as she watches her son face doom. Though the boy’s life is tragically cut short, his death serves as a haunting reminder to future generations of the discrimination and destruction suffered by the Jewish people.
- Major Themes in “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” – Death, fate, and the Holocaust are central themes in this poem. While many poems address this topic, “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” uniquely details the devastation from the perspective of an innocent child. He, along with countless others, is caught in a nightmare of hatred and hostility. The poem illustrates that the Holocaust was a heinous crime against humanity, a senseless act of violence that shattered lives and left an indelible mark on the world.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “The Little Boy with His Hands Up”
Literary devices are the tools writers use to convey meaning and evoke emotion. Examining these devices in Korwin’s poem helps us understand its depth and power.
- Assonance – Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds within nearby words. Notice how Korwin uses it to create a musical effect and emphasize certain emotions. For instance, the repetition of the short ‘e’ sound in “grown old with knowledge beyond your years” creates a sense of weariness and burden, mirroring the boy’s premature understanding of suffering.
- Alliteration – Alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, enhances the poem’s auditory quality. The repetition of the ‘l’ sound in “Like a lost lamb” evokes vulnerability and helplessness.
- Consonance – Consonance involves the repetition of consonant sounds within words. The repetition of the ‘r’ sound in “In your dark eyes – a vision of horror” emphasizes the intensity of the boy’s fear and the grim reality he faces.
- Enjambment – Enjambment occurs when a phrase or sentence continues from one line to the next without punctuation. Korwin uses it to create a flowing rhythm and build tension. For example:
Alone you will march
Among other lonely wretches
Toward your martyrdom.This gives a sense of inevitability, as the lines run together, mimicking a relentless march toward tragedy.
- Imagery – Imagery is the use of vivid language to create sensory experiences for the reader. Korwin uses powerful imagery throughout the poem. For example, “Your open palms raised in the air” immediately establishes a visual of surrender and vulnerability. The phrase “All the torments of this harassed crowd” creates a feeling of claustrophobia and fear.
- Metaphor – A metaphor compares two unlike things without using ‘like’ or ‘as.’ The boy’s helplessness functions as an extended metaphor for the plight of all Jewish people during the Holocaust. He embodies their vulnerability and powerlessness in the face of unimaginable cruelty.
- Rhetorical Question – A rhetorical question is posed not to elicit an answer, but to make a point. Korwin uses such questions to engage the reader and emphasize the unfolding tragedy. Questions like “Or are you already orphaned?” and “Do you recognize it in the emblems of the SS man facing you with his camera?” force us to confront the horrors the boy experiences.
- Simile – A simile uses ‘like’ or ‘as.’ In the third stanza, the boy is compared to a lost lamb:
Like a lost lamb you stand apart and forlorn, beholding your own fate.
This simile emphasizes his innocence, vulnerability, and impending doom.
- Symbolism – Symbolism uses objects, people, or ideas to represent something else. The raised hands symbolize surrender, desperation, and loss of freedom. The emblems of the SS man represent evil and oppression. The boy’s fate symbolizes the fate of millions of innocent people during the Holocaust.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “The Little Boy with His Hands Up”
Poetic devices are the tools poets use to craft their work. While many overlap with literary devices, these are specifically employed within the structure of poetry.
- Diction and Tone – Korwin’s diction is carefully chosen to evoke a specific mood and convey meaning. Words like “torments,” “harassed,” and “martyrdom” create a somber and tragic tone. The overall tone is lugubrious and deeply affecting.
- Free Verse – This poem is written in free verse, meaning it does not follow a regular rhyme scheme or meter. This allows Korwin to create a natural, conversational rhythm and emphasize the emotional impact of her words.
- Stanza – The poem is divided into eight stanzas, each with varying line lengths. This structure helps organize the poem’s thoughts and creates a sense of pacing. Shorter stanzas can emphasize moments of particular intensity.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “The Little Boy with His Hands Up” are particularly poignant and suitable for recalling the tragedies of war and the importance of remembering the victims:
“Your image will remain with us
And grow and grow
To immense proportions,
To haunt the callous world,
To accuse it, with ever stronger voice,”
This powerful closing emphasizes the enduring legacy of the Holocaust and the responsibility we have to learn from the past and prevent such atrocities from happening again.