“THE LITTLE POLISH BOY”



“THE LITTLE POLISH BOY” Roundup of Jews in the Warsaw ghetto (1943)I would like to be an artistSo I could make a Painting of youLittle Polish Boy Standing with your Little haton your headThe Star of Davidon your coatStanding in the ghettowith your arms upas many Nazi machine guns pointing at youI would make a monument of you and the world who said nothingI would like to be a composerso I could write a concerto of you Little Polish BoyStanding with your Little haton your headThe Star of Davidon your coatStanding in the ghettowith your arms upas many Nazi machine guns pointing at youI would write a concerto of you and the world who said nothingI am not an artistBut my mind had painteda painting of you Ten Million Miles High is the Paintingso the whole universe can see you NowLittle Polish BoyStanding with your Little haton your headThe Star of Davidon your coatStanding in the ghettowith your arms upas many Nazi machine gunspointing at you And the World who said nothingI'll make this painting so brightthat it will blind the eyesof the world who saw nothingTen billion miles high will be the monumentso the whole universe can remember of youLittle Polish BoyStanding with your Little haton your headThe Star of Davidon your coatStanding in the ghettowith your arms upas many Nazi machine guns pointing at you And the monument will tremble so the blind worldNowwill knowWhat fear is in the darknessThe worldWho said nothingI am not a composerbut I will write a compositionfor five trillion trumpetsso it will blast the ear drumsof this worldThe world'sWho heard nothingIamSorrythatIt was youandNot me“TO THE LITTLE POLISH BOYSTANDING WITH HIS ARMS UP”By: Peter L. Fischl“THE LITTLE POLISH BOY”ASSESSMENT TASKS:Choose any five of the following questions.Study the Little Polish Boy pictured and write a description of him.ThinkingFeelingEyesEmotions How do you feel about him? Read the poem. Would you answer the question in #1 any differently now that you have read the poem? Did the poem give you a greater understanding of the poster?Explain how the poet uses repetition of lines for emphasis.Why do you think the poet chose the little boy as the focus (i.e. center) of his poem?What is happening to the boy? Why are rifles pointed at him? Compare and contrast the little boy and the men holding the rifles. If one could describe the little Polish boy as 'innocent, harmless, helpless, and defenseless,' how might the soldiers be described? The others portrayed in the poster?Any study of the Holocaust recognizes three elements: perpetrators, victims, and bystanders. How are they all represented in the poem? In the poster?To whom is the author referring in the lines "the world who said nothing", "who saw nothing," "who heard nothing"? Why did the author repeat those lines? What effect did that repetition have on you?How does the author assure the little boy that now the world will see, hear, and identify with his sufferings?Does the author reveal a desire to carry out revenge or punishment on those who said, saw, heard, and did nothing? If so, where is that revealed in the poem?A cruel absurdity of human injustice is revealed in both the poster and the poem. The photo was taken to show how the Jews were rounded up and terminated. It was to be sent to Adolf Hitler for his birthday. How is that an unspeakably cruel irony?ASSESSMENT RUBRICAssessment CriteriaEXCEEDS STANDARDMEETS STANDARDPARTIALLY MEETS STANDARDDOES NOT MEET STANDARDComplete: All tasks attempted with detail; responses/answers fully prehensive: responses reveal depth of understanding of poem. Presentation: typed; correct spelling and grammar; appropriate font size. ................
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