Auschwitz Quote by Anne Sexton
““After Auschwitz" Anger, as black as a hook, overtakes me. Each day, each Nazi took, at 8: 00 A.M., a baby and sauteed him for breakfast in his frying pan. And death looks on with a casual eye and picks at the dirt under his fingernail. Man is evil, I say aloud. Man is a flower that should be burnt, I say aloud. Man is a bird full of mud, I say aloud. And death looks on with a casual eye and scratches his anus. Man with his small pink toes, with his miraculous fingers is not a temple but an outhouse, I say aloud. Let man never again raise his teacup. Let man never again write a book. Let man never again put on his shoe. Let man never again raise his eyes, on a soft July night. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. I say those things aloud. I beg the Lord not to hear.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Man Who Was Not a Man", 1965
A visceral condemnation of humanity’s capacity for cruelty and absurdity.
In simple terms: Man is cruel and absurd.
Key Takeaway
Confront and reject dehumanization.
Themes
evil
absurdity
humanity
Mood
anguished
defiant
Type
poetic
political
When to use this quote
- political activism
- artistic expression
- mental health awareness
Key Concepts
existential dread
moral outrage
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this poem reveal about societal violence?
- How can we transform despair into action?
A Different Perspective
Extremely graphic, may alienate some readers.
