Left First

*PSA my poem got messed up in my folder, so I wrote it out here as well. 

Left First-

I did not

speak out

I did not

speak out

I did not 

speakout 

I did not 

speak out 

           because 

I was not 

I was not

I was not

 I was not a

      then they came 

they came, they came, they came 

and there was no one left 

            SPEAKOUT. 

I took the poem “First They Came”, by Pastor Martin Niemöller, to be my found poem. The poem “First They Came” stood out to me for several reasons when posed with the prompt of finding a piece that made me feel something. What is most upsetting about this poem is the relevance it still holds today. Even coming from a post-war world regarding World War Two, addressing Holocaust, this poem still holds great signifigance. Throughout history, this enduring issue of people not standing up for others can be seen in numerous lights. This poem simultaneously represents all of the voices of society. The voices that have a voice and the ones that don’t. This poem encourages me to be a better person, a person I wish someone else would be not only to me but for me. 

The method by which I chose to create this found poem was by selecting words and phrases, cutting out, and rearranging them. When rearranging this poem I was thinking about a new way to interpret the words and overall conveyed messages from Niemöller’s work. I wanted to emphasize not only the word “speak out”, but the action of speaking out, and the impact it holds on society. When referring to “I” in my found poem, I am directly addressing the reader. I want them to feel like they too are the victim, a bystander, and a voice worthy of great change. I decided what to cut out and rearrange by taking the words that held the most weight to me. By taking out certain words, I can illustrate the relevance of this piece that continues to endure. Overall, this experience helped me think differently about language and literature in regards not only to “ZONG!”, but the English language. English theory is one of the most fascinating aspects of the English language to me, and I believe that Found poem is a prime example of how intricate English truly is.

*Original poem*

“First They Came”, by Pastor Martin Niemöller

First they came for the Communists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews

And I did not speak out

Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me

And there was no one left

To speak out for me