CRE#3 on Amichai’s Poetry

There are Candles to Remember

● Amichai’s use of the imagery of candles here may represent the life of a person.
After a candle is lit, it is known that it will eventually grow shorter in length as it
burns out. In the first stanza, it says that there are candles that last “twenty-four
hour”, while some “eight hours”. This may signify the possibility that a person’s
life is not always fully lived because some may die early. There are also “eternal
candles” where a person’s life will continue to exist through his children.

● Following the first stanza, we are able to see into the persona’s life. He at first
begins as he is returning to the memory of when he was a child. The persona
then grows older and yet a part of him is still the same as when he was a child.
Skipping to the fourth stanza, the persona now becomes a father, having a
daughter. This allows him to become a “eternal candle” because he will be
remembered by his children.

● Looking into the implications of daughter’s name, “Emanuella”, a perspective to

be seen is that with her name meaning “May God be with us!”, this means that
God isn’t present to them. This may also allude to the fact the Jews are still
awaiting the coming of their savior.