Amichai and Walcott both bear witness to the more difficult aspects of human life in two different perspectives. Amichai seems to focus on the difficulties associated with conflict between two opposing groups, while Walcott shows the perspective of difficulties within one’s self. In “An Arab Shepherd Is Searching for His Goat on Mount Zion”, Amichai shows two differing groups, an Arab shepherd and a Jewish father looking for something they love. Even though the two are culturally imposed to two different sides of the war, they still show concern for one another and their loved ones. Amichai illustrates the morality of both characters who were willing to put aside their differences to achieve a similar goal. Walcott’s “The Fist”, on the other hand, focuses on the internal conflict associated with love. Walcott compares love to a physical grip around the heart. When you are hurt by the one you love it feels as if it is being clenched and when you lose that grip you lose your sense of self. Walcott establishes that this feeling of love is necessary for you to move forward.
2 thoughts on “How does the poet bear witness to tragedy or more difficult aspects of human life?”
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I agree that Walcott focuses on inner hardships that come with living a fulfilling life. I think your analysis is on point for your last sentence where Walcott establishes that love is a necessary struggle for humans to experience to live a fulfilling life. I also love the metaphor Walcott gave with gripping his heart to keep it beating and moving on in life!
I think Amichai is trying to say that the war is happening through many years of conflict that might not have to do with ordinary citizens at all. These citizens are required to fight wars that they have no emotional ties to and that at the end of the day, people from both sides are human. They have human emotions and feel similar things even though they happened to be born into conflicting views.