Wislawa Szymborska Essay

Anyone who has sat in a single-desked classroom with a creaky, spinning globe at the front, as books ooze crinkled notebook paper from desks in front of them, has heard it said before: history repeats itself – an idea many know, but many more seem to neglect. It is individuals like Wislawa Szymborska who point to these hypocritical behaivors. Szymborska uses personal experience from World War II as she originated from the country who was invaded by Germany, marking the start of the warfare. In Wislawa Szymborska’s, “The End and the Beginning,” the Polish Native incorporates a combination of devastating imagery, impactful repetition, and a concluding metaphor in a highly logical poem to stress the importance of addressing the consequences of

The author notes that those who knew about the past conflict must let others who “know little / and less than little. / And finally, as little as nothing” begin to run the country. This emphasis of the word “little” expresses the concerns that come with allowing others to begin to organize the country, by reminding the audience over and over the lack of knowledge they hold. Following the flippant behavior described earlier as others began to “mill about,” this seems like the worst possible idea that could come from the author; however, finally Szymboska states her main goal concept through a metaphor. A metaphor that clarifies what she wishes “someone” will do. In her metaphor, the grass is representative of the events from the past. What Szymboska states is that someone needs to stretch out amongst this grass and have a “blade of grass in his mouth”: the author wants someone to remember the past hardships and speak of them, reminding people of the past – she wants someone to guide those who did not witness it. Additionally, this metaphor comes off as peaceful, as it ends with the person who is to “be stretched out” with a “blade of grass in his mouth”, watching the clouds. This creates a calming tone, subtly reminding the audience to avoid violence when communicating. It reminds the audience not to act as other have in the