The Book of Yolek by Anthony Hecht tells the story of a young Jewish boy named Yolek, a fictional representation of a boy who died during the Holocaust. The vivid imagery employed by Hecht creates a multifaceted universe that highlights the grueling nature of the Holocaust, while at the same time comparing the Holocaust to the routine events of normal life. The poem begins by discussing the simple pleasures of everyday activities, such as outdoor walks and home-cooked meals. With such pleasant and comforting language, the reader begins to feel relaxed with the beauty of life described by Hecht. Suddenly, the sestina takes a dark but captivating turn, in which long walks in nature are interrupted by inhuman marches to the camp. Meals of grilled river trout become small meals of bread and soup, interrupted by the march of Nazi soldiers. These powerful descriptions of happiness and despair, strategically placed throughout the poem to act as opposites of each other, create a powerful and moving sestina. With Hecht's masterful use of overwhelming contrast and repetition, the poem's joyous tone quickly degenerates into cynicism, expressed with his growing disillusionment with humanity. The fluid dynamics of the juxtaposed descriptions of Yolek's life emphasize the feeling of upset at humanity for allowing the Holocaust to be neutralized by their subconscious. Furthermore, the profound repetition of words such as “camp,” “meal,” and “walk” throughout the poem places an inevitable pressure on readers to remember the Holocaust for the rest of their lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The poem's focus on memory is highlighted by Hecht's particular choice of pronouns. Hecht begins by drawing a picture of a sunny day, immediately following a hearty meal of grilled trout. As the poem progresses, we are exposed to harsh images of the Holocaust and Yolek's tragic death. Hecht says, “Wherever you are, Yolek will be there too… prepare to receive him into your home one day” (64). Here we can see that the pronouns “you” and “thy” are used by Hecht throughout the poem, from the first stanza to the last stanza. By using the pronoun “your,” Hecht gives readers a place in his sestina; sets the tone by focusing primarily on “you,” the reader. His use of the pronoun “your” indicates the overall goal of the sestina: to pressure humanity to remember the Holocaust and never allow another genocide to take place. Addressing the readers themselves at many points in the sestina, he constantly reiterates who the audience he is addressing is: humanity. When Hecht says, “Be prepared to have it delivered to your home one day,” he has a cynical attitude toward humanity, condemning people for ignoring the Holocaust and not actively remembering it in their daily lives. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “prepared” is a verb that means “to prepare something ready for use.” Hecht urges people to make their homes ready for use because the day will come when Yolek arrives, and it will be our duty to remember the legacy of what Yolek represents: all those who died in the Holocaust. Speaking directly to readers indicates that Hecht has a message he is trying to convey and that it is our responsibility to listen to it. Now that the target audience has been established, we can begin to delve into the contrasting images seen throughout the poem. As the poem begins, we are taken on a journey through a day filled with peace and comfort. Hecht incorporates lucid descriptions such as“walks along the fern path,” “deep bronze glories of the setting day,” and “summer camp bonfires” to tap into the sensuality of life before the Holocaust. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “gloria” is a noun meaning “magnificence, great beauty.” The notion of the magnificent bronze sky accompanied by bonfires, which “illuminate” the atmosphere, gives the sacred tone to the opening stanza. Rich descriptions of bright, peaceful scenery, such as walks along a path of ferns, show how easy life is and put the reader into a comfortable, happy mindset. Furthermore, the “declining day” can be used as a metaphor to illustrate that as the day declines and the skies grow darker, there are still bronze colors in the sky and bonfires, giving light to the darkness. This can be interpreted as a life where even when there is darkness, such as tragic events and negativity, you have a stable support system to bring lightness back into your life. We are presented with a similar environment of peace in the second stanza, but now Hecht asks us to recall a peaceful memory from our childhood. Hecht says, “You remember, in peace, a day before… you remember a fairly specific meal… you missed it on a nature walk that summer” (64). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "remember" is a verb that means "to be able to bring into one's mind an awareness of someone or something one has seen, known, or experienced in the past." The repetition of the word "remember" combined with Hecht's use of the pronoun "your" shows that the purpose of the second stanza is to evoke memories in the readers and have them specifically remember youthful, happy memories. Fern trail walks became “nature walks” and grilled brook trout became a “pretty specific meal.” There is a gap in descriptive detail from the first stanza to the second stanza that allows readers to fill in their own version of a comfort meal. When the fern trail becomes a nature walk, the reader is able to form a more specific memory of any walk they have taken, not necessarily along a fern trail. This gives the poem a humanistic component, physically binding readers to the poem's journey. This powerful form of memory recall places readers in a joyful moment, where they recall some of their greatest memories from childhood, when life was simple, peaceful, and free from danger. The sestina undergoes a dramatic change in the third stanza. He begins by setting a date, “August 5, 1942,” which is the year World War II reached its peak in Nazi Germany. By changing the temporal pattern of the poem, readers are forced to stop thinking about the happy thoughts of their childhood and shift their attention to this exact moment in time. It seems that Hecht does this strategically because he first asks readers to recall memories from their childhood and, after guiding them through a peaceful recollection, interrupts the memory by directing their attention to another point in time. The vivid contrast between happy childhood memories and August 5, 1942 creates a stark parallel between the preceding and subsequent stanzas. Hecht says, “Shorten the meal of bread and soup by lining them up to walk in close formation to a special camp” (64). Walks along the fern path turn into organized marches led by Nazi soldiers. The summer camp with bonfires and grilled trout turns into a concentration camp with electric fences, Nazi soldiers and suffering. The repetition of the words “camp,” “walk,” and “meal” are used in a negative and destructive light for the first time. To these threewords in particular were given a lot of attention in the first two stanzas as they are the root of joy and comfort, with summer camps, nature walks, and delicious meals. However, the closeness of these repetitions and their overwhelming contrast to each other cleverly accentuates the horror in the poem by transforming the words before our eyes. Hecht does groundbreaking work incorporating contrast with repetition to create a meaningful piece of literature. However, he does so in a way that makes the reader feel as if they are also present at the camp. When Hecht describes the concentration camp, his tone remains calm and direct, rather than graphic and accusatory. Hecht says, “The electric fences, the number tattoo, the heat of the day truly extraordinary” (64). It highlights the grueling and depressing nature of the concentration camp by using sensory clues to create a more solid image in the readers' minds. He says, “The smell of smoke and the loudspeakers of the camp” (64). Incorporating descriptive olfactory and auditory imagery serves to give readers a complete mental picture of what the concentration camp was like. Instead of simply telling readers about the horrors of the camp, Hecht incorporates various senses into the poem to offer readers a multifaceted approach to thinking about the Holocaust. When it does this, readers are able to create their own mental image of the camp based on the contextual clues provided. Readers are able to connect with the poem more effectively because Hecht gives them the chance to form their own perspective on what the field was like. While Hecht could have used more explicit language, he chooses to let the fluid contrast between the repetitive words and evocative images set the emotional tone for readers. By moving from the cheerful tone found in the first two stanzas to the subsequent third stanza, in which the Holocaust is first introduced, readers are able to feel its effects on a deeper level. The opening two stanzas, which describe the epitome of a joyful life, are suddenly interrupted by the dark nature of the concentration camps. The bold contrast offers readers no foreshadowing of the darkness that is to come, as readers are still encased in the childhood memory component of the second stanza. Due to the progression into the next stanzas relatively quickly and without warning, it compels readers to continue reading, despite the harsh and painful content. This progression through the poem, set up so strategically and suddenly, can potentially serve as a metaphor for the goal of the sestina. It embodies the philosophy that, no matter what people do to neutralize the tragic memories of the Holocaust, they cannot escape their fate, just as Yolek and the other 11 million victims of the Holocaust could not escape theirs. Hecht says, “Far or the same as home, you will remember, helplessly, that day” (64). This terrific line shows that you could be anywhere in the world, even in the comfort of your own home, and you should remember the Holocaust. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “helpless” is an adjective meaning “unable to defend oneself or act without help.” Hecht's use of the word “helpless” illustrates that readers will not be able to dismiss thoughts of the Holocaust after reading the sestina, as they will now be equipped with a multifaceted perspective that includes intimate memories and lucid images. There will be an incessant reminder of information that readers will continue to wade through for eternity. At the end of the emotional rollercoaster that readers face as they embark on this poem, they will not be able to forget the tragic events that occurred during the Holocaust. . Hecht seems to take on a visioncynical of humanity, berating the human race for turning a blind eye to the Holocaust. Hecht begins the fourth stanza by asking readers an open-ended question: “How many times have you thought about camp?” (64). He then gives a partial answer to his question, discussing how Yolek and the rest of the children were forced to leave their homes and march in disorder to the concentration camp. The partial answer Hecht provides allows readers to fill the gap with their own emotions about whether the Holocaust and the legacy of all those who died will be forgotten. In addition to asking readers to recall their childhood memories, Hecht also expects readers to be able to overcome the reasons they don't actively remember the Holocaust and take steps to become more aware people. This reflects Hecht's non- accusatory tone, in which he leaves readers to figure out what emotions they think on their own, rather than simply lecturing them for their ignorance. This stanza is a poetic mastery, in which Hecht is able to express judgment towards humanity in a way that allows readers to draw their own conclusions and self-criticize their own ignorance of this tragic period in our history. Although it is a more colloquial poem rather than an accusatory poem, Hecht reminds his readers that if we forget the Holocaust, we run the risk of letting another genocide occur. In the fifth verse, Hecht says, “We're getting close to August again. He will bring home the normal torments of that camp to which Yolek was sent” (64). This adds another level of time value to the poem. We move from our childhood memories, to August 5, 1942, and then to the present day. When Hecht says that August will bring home the normal torments of the camp, he is implying that just as August approaches each year, there is also the possibility of another genocide occurring. Using the term “regular,” which means routine, we can see Hecht's fear of reliving a genocide even in the present day. The only way to stop the cycle is to actively defend genocide and be aware of the signs that a genocide is approaching. In addition to sparking thoughts of a future genocide, Hecht also uses the month of August as a way to remind humanity that August comes every year and it is crucial to remember the burden of the Holocaust for years to come. Hecht uses many masterful techniques in order to ensure that his poetry leaves a lasting impression on readers. In addition to all of the above-mentioned ways in which Hecht is able to fulfill his mission, the inclusion of a fictional character in the poem facilitates a personal and emotional connection to the Holocaust. The reader followed Yolek's journey through four stanzas and facilitated an intimate connection with him. Hecht says, “Yolek who was not more than five years old one day…was sent to his little meal unfinished…though they killed him in the field to which they sent him” (64). When we first meet Yolek, we are told that he is no more than five years old. Because Hecht tells us his age, we infer that he is a young, innocent child who has never harmed anyone, and we immediately feel deep sympathy for his unfortunate situation. We then follow his journey to the moment he is taken to the concentration camp and, in a way, experience those sights and smells with Yolek. After becoming more involved in Yolek's journey throughout the poem, we have a deep hope that Yolek will be one of the lucky survivors but, to our dismay, the second line of the last stanza reveals that Yolek was killed in the concentration camp. This unfortunate outcome, combined with the close relationship formed between the 2016.