CRE#5 on Amichai’s Poetry

I Guard the Children

● The poem itself is ironic, despite being entitled “I Guard the Children”, the childrens are
seen to suffer. The second and fourth stanzas revolves around the life of children during
the time of the holocaust. The second stanza deals with the tragic fate they encountered,
which for most was death through various means; such as gas chambers and starvation.
The fourth stanza on the other hand, a ball bounces over the fence, this can refer to the
concentration camps most kids were placed. Then there is also the son and daughter
from the third stanza who may soon encounter death. With this refer back to the title to
see the irony, as the children aren’t guarded from the holocaust. Another interpretation
maybe instead guards who work under Hitler, guarding the children to prevent them to
escape from concentration camps.

● This poem actually revolves around the Shoah, which is better known as the holocaust.
This can be seen through the use of imagery. The third stanza features three images.
The first being a father beating his son, yet it details them being a barbed wire signifying
that they are in either prison or a concentration camp. The next imagery is of mother and
daughter quarrel, yet it also details that they are “in the huts of annihilation”, probably
being sent to a gas chamber. The last imagery is son in a transport wagon, which
presumably is trying to escape capture and being sent to a concentration camp.

● Another significant aspect of the poem is the absence of God, and comparisons made to
demons. In the third stanza it states “I’m an old father keeping watch in place of the great
god”. God in this poem is seen to be absent neglecting his duties “who struts around
forever in his eternal youth”. God having the persona in the poem be a stand in or a
replacement. Dog in jewish context represent either protection or demonic powers. This
then makes sense as the persona of the poem does not protect the children and allows
evil to exist. In the last stanza there is even a reference to the demonic god named
Ashmedai, who the poem compares politicians to.