Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem begins with the speaker appreciating a beautiful autumn day, a moment of peace that stands in stark contrast to the dark memories and experiences that follow. The mention of avoiding a street with St. John the Evangelist Church and a building flashing "Jews for Jesus" sets the tone for a narrative intertwined with religious and historical complexities.

The story of Judith Aaron, placed in the Mater Immaculata convent in Brussels after surviving Bergen-Belsen, introduces a narrative of abandonment and the longing for a family that never returns. The detail of Judith waiting eleven years for any next of kin to claim her underscores the profound isolation and loss experienced by Holocaust survivors.

Judith's departure from the convent, described with subtle defiance in her uniform's disarray, hints at her attempt to reclaim some sense of self after years of institutional life. However, the flashback to a traumatic incident in the infirmary, where nuns punish her for a natural adolescent curiosity about her body, reveals the deep scars left by both her Holocaust experience and the subsequent abuse under the guise of religious discipline. The use of an ivory crucifix as a tool of punishment is a harrowing symbol of the perversion of religious teachings and the violation of personal sanctity.

The silence Judith maintains during this abuse—"She didn’t let out a sound, not a sigh"—speaks volumes about her resilience and the "pallor of survival" that marks her. This phrase poignantly captures the essence of enduring in the face of unimaginable pain, a theme that resonates throughout the poem.

The speaker's identification with Judith and the collective "you, me and the others" suggests a shared experience of suffering and the bond that forms among survivors. The search for signs of survival in "the smallest things: a flawless sky, a leaf autumn turns, an open gate" is a testament to the human capacity for finding beauty and hope even after enduring the darkest of times.

"The Pallor of Survival" is a powerful meditation on the ways in which trauma and survival intersect with the beauty of the natural world and the small moments of everyday life. Laure-Anne Bosselaar masterfully weaves together personal narrative, historical context, and lyrical imagery to explore the complex journey of healing and the indomitable spirit of those who carry the weight of past horrors. Through this poem, Bosselaar invites readers to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit and the continuous search for signs of hope and renewal.

POEM TEXT: https://voxpopulisphere.com/2018/12/03/laure-anne-bosselaar-the-pallor-of-survival/

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