Erika V, Milyza, and Kelly
The Silesian Weavers
By Heinrich Heine
- “shroud”
– A shroud is a length of cloth or an enveloping garment in which a dead person is wrapped for burial; the Silesian weavers are exploited factory workers.
- “threefold curse”
-The threefold curse is clarified in the verses that follow; it curses god, the king and the fatherland.
- “mocked and jeered”
-The Silesian weavers are blaming God because despite desperate pleas, they received no assistance from him
- “wrings”
– To wring something means to squeeze and twist it forcing some form of liquid from it. In this verse the weavers are blaming the king for supporting the rich and taking from the poor. The king does not literally wring the people
- “dirty scheming”
– In this fourth verse, the weavers are placing blame on the fatherland, exclaiming how corrupt old Germany is
- “we’re weaving, we’re weaving”
– Every verse in the poem ends with this phrase referring back to the first verse which says they’re weaving Germany’s burial shroud, which is not literal.
Our analysis of the poem’s keywords leads us to interpret the poem as an expression of the struggles and personal turmoil the Silesian weavers experienced from their jobs. All the key words and their analyses were very dark and depicted the despair, anger and sadness that the Silesian weavers had. Through the powerful words and imagery, the poem revolved around these negative feelings, allowing the reader to better understand the struggles of the workers, without even knowing what their working conditions were. It is easy to see how this emotional, intense poem was a prominent work of art during the Vormärz movement.
Our interpretation that these weavers experienced despair, anger, and sadness due to working conditions is very relevant today. Although physical working conditions have improved, it is common for people today to feel angry towards our government and employers for not treating hard workers fairly and humanely. It is difficult for people to survive on what they are paid, if they are even lucky enough to find a job. For example, in 2011 we experienced the Occupy Wall Street protest movement, which was against the social and economic inequality worldwide. This poem relates with movements, such as Occupy Wall Street, because it is protest for better working conditions and better treatment, whether it be physical, social, or economical. In summation, people are struggling in today’s workforce and are angry at the hardships that they have to endure, just as the Silesian weavers were in 1844.
12 responses so far ↓
c.hazan // Oct 16th 2015 at 12:09 am
I really like these interpretations. I have not read the poem but it sounds like a very intense one! I especially liked the interpretation of the word “wrings.” It does sound like the situation back then was difficult for the working class and that the king was “wringing” every ounce of energy, time and money from them.
From the interpretations alone I depict that the poem emits emotions of anger and sadness. These definitely correspond to the situation in 2011, Occupy Wall Street. People were upset and angry and formed a movement for inequality in the working class. I like that you chose this example since the poem is extremely relevant to this day, and in 2011 we saw that this is a recurring issue which proves the poems relevancy.
j.kohan // Oct 16th 2015 at 12:28 pm
In my opinion, the two most compelling aspects of this post certainly were the analysis and interpretation. In your analysis you mention how diction essentially constructs the mood of the overall poem. After looking at the poem myself, I certainly agree with you. Simply by reading the poem, I was able to identify with and imagine the emotions of the workers. To me, this is one of the most crucial skills a writer can possess, whether it be a poet or the author of a narrative.
I also thought your connection of the circumstances in the poem and the Wall Street protest movements was especially fascinating. An important part of literature is making connections between concepts that have similarities which may not be inherently evident. Certainly, the Wall Street protest is a great example of efforts to improve conditions and wages, but the reality is that these efforts exist each and everyday in our society, perhaps on different levels however.
Great Work!
s.kazinets // Oct 16th 2015 at 7:25 pm
I thought that this was a very interesting analysis. You were able to really give an image of what the poem is trying to describe in these six words. To show the dark side of what workers have to deal with and the way they are treated. I also thought that the analysis of and the connection to how it is relevant today was really good. It was a good example using what happened in 2011, to show that this unfair treatment of workers still happens today. It is crazy to think that even though so much time has passed but people are still fighting for better conditions today.
aj166127 // Oct 16th 2015 at 10:00 pm
Very captivating analysis. I haven’t read your poem but I almost feel like I get the gist of it just from everything you just wrote. The connections made between the Silesian weavers in 1844 and Occupy Wall Street protest movement were brilliant. It is easier to understand something from so long ago that we haven’t physically experienced by comparing it to something that we did live though.
yg111658 // Oct 17th 2015 at 12:06 am
Your analysis is very interesting. Especially your choice of word and phrases, it really embodies the meaning of the poem. It is true, there are many dark words even the use of shroud and wrings, which are nothing on their own but are great terms to depict the sadness of the Silesian weavers. This situation is definitely relevant today, i especially like that you were very specific with your example. Lastly, the connection you made were spot on, you team made a very good analysis.
r.joy // Oct 17th 2015 at 1:01 am
This group did a great job on both the interpretation and analysis of this poem. I feel the outside connection you made with the occupying of wall street was spot on. Your group talked about all the main points the poem was trying to express.
e.rospide // Oct 17th 2015 at 2:00 am
I really liked how you guys tied the poem analysis to a problem that happens in today’s society. Often times that needs and wants of the common day worker is overlooked. They are told to just work. Being efficient at one’s job is a result of a combination of things. I believe the main key to a workers happiness is being treated with respect. No one should have to endure working conditions that cause anger and resentment. Great analysis overall!
k.garcia2 // Oct 17th 2015 at 6:26 am
I completely agree with what you have to say about your interpretation in todays society. Today , workers still fight for better working conditions and to be treated equally among all employees . I particularly like what you had to say about wall street. I also believe workers are fighting about having equal pay despite what their gender is or if they are disabled .
t.zar // Oct 17th 2015 at 10:21 am
I really enjoyed how you established the extent to which these workers were mistreated with the definitions of your words in part one. The word choice all revolved around one central idea: the mistreatment of workers. Clearly, the words of the poem give off the vibe that the workers are unhappy and are experiencing extremely dark times. You did a great job connecting your analyzations with your interpretations. Specifically, comparing people’s difficulty to find jobs and anger with social economic differences with the Occupy Wall Street movement was interesting. Personally, I believe that the average working conditions will never improve for most people, especially considering the fact that America and other large countries are trying to minimize cost by producing goods in facilities in foreign nations. This could possibly lead to more workers globally being mistreated because of the harsh conditions factory workers face.
m.lee // Oct 17th 2015 at 11:11 am
I completely agree about how your interpretation is relevant in today’s world. Even in 2015, workers and members of the middle class and working class are still fighting for equality and change clearly doesn’t happen easily. It’s unfortunate to see that the needs of workers and people who are relatively powerless are being ignored and it shows how our priorities are backwards. Personally, I believe that changes will most likely never take place given the political climate of our country and the way our politicians in Washington behave.
y.kim // Oct 17th 2015 at 11:32 am
The relevance in today’s society is my favorite part! The Occupy Wall Street movement is the perfect example that supports the analysis of the poem. I believe that the misery of workers will always continue to exist because people will always find flaws of work and never be satisfied with their working conditions, whether its the money, coworkers or employers. As the group mentioned “we’re weaving, we’re weaving” refers to the weaving of Germany’s shroud. The workers are blaming that the three powerful leaders, God, King and Fatherland for the political corruption that will ultimately bring Germany down.
JMERLE // Oct 17th 2015 at 1:58 pm
Erika, Milly, Kelly,
Nicely done! You do a very good job with your initial definitions, and you rightly point how how the literal meaning diverges quite a bit from the figurative. I especially like how you connect “shroud” with the exploitation of the workers.
Yes, your interpretation is quite valid. Heine’s use of this very dark imagery shows the intensity of the problems these people faced. Think, too, about his use of “weaving” as an image, as this is an image that recurs. We’ll talk about this in class on Wed.
Yes, sadly this is still relevant, and your example of Occupy Wall Street is an apt one.
Grade: 10/10