Poetry Analysis
Joseph Sims
Nazi Victim
Paraphrasing
They came for the communists,
and I did not speak up
because I wasn't a communist;
They came for the socialists,
and I did not speak up
because I was not a socialist;
They came for the union leaders,
and I did not speak up
because I wasn't a union leader;
They came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one
left to speak up for me ....
He didn't speak up for anyone else when they were being taken so when it was time for him, nobody spoke up. There was nobody left.
Connotation
Attitude
"Then they came for me,
and there was no one
left to speak up for me."
Shifts
d not speak up
because I wasn't a communist;
They came for the socialists,
and I did not speak up
because I was not a socialist;
They came for the union leaders,
and I did not speak up
because I wasn't a union They came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a Jew.
Title Revisited
Theme
They came for communist, and I did not speak up
because I wasn't a communist;
They came for the socialists,
and I did not speak up
because I was not a socialist;
They came for the union leaders,
and I did not speak up
because I wasn't a union They came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up
because I wasn't a Jew.