Ecphrastic Poetry

Ecphrastic Poetry is poetry that is written in response to art... photography, sculpture, painting, musical composition, monument. My students viewed and discussed the Holocaust Photograph "The Little Polish Boy Standing with his Arms Up" and wrote an ecphrastic poem to one person shown in the photograph. These turned out to be very beautiful.

To the Nazi Soldier
Why Nazi soldier
Why did you stand by complacently
As young and old were marched before you to their deaths
Why Nazi soldier
Did you remain silent while the mother kissed her innocent babies goodbye
And then were thrust into a crowded railcar by your fellow soldier
Why Nazi soldier
Did you stand on your night vigil, unable to see the glowing
Stars high above you, veiled by a sky of ash
Tell me Nazi soldier
Why you stood at attention after vomiting because your stomach
Could not bear the stench of burnt human flesh

Was it because you wanted to be a patriot
Or just felt like it was your duty
Maybe you feared ridicule
Maybe you feared death
Tell me

Why Nazi soldier
Did you not stand for the persecuted
Why Nazi soldier
Did you not up the weak and battered
Why Nazi soldier
Did you not say something
Why
~Robby

To the Young Boy
With your arms held high
Sullen face and fearful eyes
They wave the guns without a care
For arms to drop if you dare

Young Boy
In the light you stand
With nobody helping or holding your hand
They watch and stare as you take it all

Young Boy
Valiantly you remain, short but tall
~Kieley

To the Woman in the Photo
Mother there you stand
With your boy
There you stand with your bags packed and your hands up
There you stand being persecuted by ignorance
Mother there you stand, only wanting to protect your
little boy

There you stand wishing you could hold him and keep him safe
There you stand being persecuted by ignorance

Mother there you stand...
Wondering how many more cries it will take for the world to hear
There you stand wondering how much more blood will be poured for the world to see

Mother there you stand
Looking back to see ignorance
There you stand being persecuted by ignorance
~Katie