Analysis of Primo Levi’s If This Is a Man Essay Sample

If this is a adult male. a verse form written by Primo Levi. serves as an debut to the Auschwitz memoir of “If This is a Man” . saying its topic. range every bit good as his purpose. The intent of the verse form is to contrast the lives of those who live inside and outside the concentration cantonments. The verse form evokes strong emotions of guilt. accusal and bitterness within the reader and sets a tragic temper for the wining memoir that continues to develop and spread out the description of the prison life at Auschwitz. By analysing its construction. imagination. repeat and word pick it will be more understood why it impacts the reader so strongly.

The construction of a verse form is frequently used to back up its thoughts and tone every bit good as better its overall presentation. In add-on. construction allows for the verse form to flux more swimmingly as it acts as a support to the beat. “If this is a Man” is written in free poetry and consists of four stanzas. distinguished by indents. The first group of lines serves as a sum-up of the lives of those who lived outside of the concentration cantonment. The first indent visually separates the first and 2nd stanza. which describes the life of the captives in the cantonments. Here. Levi contrasts two highly different state of affairss and makes it of all time more clear by dividing them with an indented line. In the 3rd stanza Levi once more speaks of the people on the exterior of the barbed wire ( concentration cantonments ) and ends turn toing the reader disputing them to retrieve what occurred ( during the Holocaust ) by reiterating it to their kids or may their “House autumn ( … ) unwellness bay their manner ( … ) and loved 1s turn away” .

One of the most important elements in the verse form is Levi’s usage of imagination as it plays a critical function in presenting the message to the reader. The vivid and elaborate images depicted assistance to contrast between the lives of really different people. Images of “warm houses” and “hot food” set up a comfy and tranquil atmosphere and most significantly an environment that the reader can associate to. A drastic displacement is seen as Levi takes us from this image of a warm. cosy. sheltered house to that of a concentration cantonment. Phrases such as “works in the mud” . “bit of bread” . and “no peace” create images that are the opposite to those visited in the old stanza. Starving work forces working amongst the crud. in a hostile environment is something that the readers can non place themselves with. There is the usage of a simile to associate a adult female to a cold toad in the winter in the 3rd stanza functioning non merely as a continuance of the displacement in imagination but it is besides dehumanising. The adult female has been reduced to the little undistinguished toad depriving her of all human features.

A alteration every bit disconnected as the one seen between the first stanza and the 2nd and 3rd evokes fear. edginess and apprehensiveness every bit good as leaves the reader in a province of daze. The fifth and concluding stanza focuses chiefly on presenting menaces to the readers/audience that beyond being specific and elaborate are besides enormously dismaying. Levi menaces are atrocious images of falling houses. hindering unwellnesss and household members going distant aliens. It is possible to presume that Levi is warning the reader about the horrifying things that could happen to them and their loved 1s if they dare ignore or compose off the horrific events that took topographic point in the concentration cantonments but more by and large the full Holocaust.

Levi includes repeat in the verse form “If This is a Man” and uses it to reenforce his thoughts every bit good as magnify the consequence of the verse form on the reader. In the 2nd stanza the reader comes across the word “who” at the beginning of lines 6-10. As the word is found at the start of each line the repeat is besides known as an anaphora. it is used to threading thoughts or images in this instance. analogue to each other. The repeat puts accent on the lives of those who lived in the concentration cantonment. physiques impulse and easy but steadily accumulates the atrocious wretchedness and enduring lived by the victims assisting to convey the melancholy temper to the reader with greater easiness. As mentioned antecedently. the menaces in the last stanza are upseting and flooring and presented through the usage of an anaphora. The word “may” is repeated three times about as if they are being placed one on top of the other. increasing accretion with the purpose to do the menaces of all time more rough.

Word pick is really of import as can either win or neglect to convey the right message and temper to the reader. Levi made careful choice of enunciation when contrasting the ‘two worlds’ ( one being the interior and the other the exterior of the cantonments ) . Wordss such as “safe” . “warm” . “hot food” . and “friendly” let the reader to associate. populating lives of felicity. security. and success. On the contrary. unlike in the first stanza. the undermentioned stanzas are concentrated with words such as “work” . “mud” . “fights” “bit of staff of life. which though the reader know non through experience. is able to associate them to misery and enduring. In add-on. in lines 11. 12. 13 the words “empty” . “without” . “With no name” are first-class ways to demo that the significance in the lives of the captives is gone every bit good as a possible feeling of emptiness. The word “carve” used in the 3rd stanza the mere usage of the word “carve” has a violent intension. When something is carved into. the grade is at that place everlastingly. therefore. through the pick of this word. Primo Levi wants the reader to admit the panics that the captives where given and were forced to populate with.

In decision. the poem’s construction. imagination. repeat and word pick conjure in its audience a feeling of guilt every bit good as commiseration. The poetic voice is strong doing the tone of all time more angry and affirmatory when turn toing the “you” in the verse form besides known as the people outside of the cantonments. With this said. the tone and temper manages to come across empathic when depicting the lives of the captives. Levi speaks merely the truth and the world of what occurred and combines fazing descriptions with what it means to be human. the importance of heat. compassion and nutrient – the things the reader finally takes for granted. The verse form is an magnificently composed foreword for the memoires that recount the true experiences of Primo Levi in the Auschwitz concentration cantonment.