If our enemies take me And people stop talking to me, If…
““If our enemies take me And people stop talking to me, If they confiscate the whole world— The right to breathe, open doors, Affirm that existence shall go on And that people, like a judge, shall judge, And if they dare to keep me like an animal And fling my food on the floor, I won’t fall silent or deaden the agony, But shall write what I am free to write, My naked body gathering momentum like a bell, And in a corner of the ominous dark I shall yoke ten oxen to my voice And move my hand in the darkness like a plough And, wrung out into a legion of brotherly eyes, Shall fall with the full heaviness of a harvest, Exploding in the distance with all the force of a vow, And in the depths of the unguarded night The eyes of that unskilled laborer, earth, shall shine And a flock of flaming years swoop down, And like a ripe thunderstorm Lenin shall burst forth. But on this earth (which shall escape decay) There to wake up life and reason will be””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The poet vows to resist oppression, using language as a weapon to assert existence.
In simple terms: Resist oppression through powerful expression.
Key Takeaway
Write boldly despite threats.
Themes
resistance
freedom
artistic defiance
Mood
defiant
hopeful
Type
poetic
political
When to use this quote
- censorship battles
- political protest
- personal adversity
- public speaking
Key Concepts
political oppression
creative resilience
Questions to Reflect On
- What does it mean to be truly free?
- How can art sustain hope under tyranny?
A Different Perspective
Oppression may silence the writer.