The Effect World War II Had on European Literature
World War II was one of the most major transformative events of the 20th century, with over 39 million deaths in Europe alone. Large sections of cities were destroyed through the six years continuous of battles, bombing and horrific crimes against humanity. Many European civilians, one way or another, were effected from the war and personally witnessed the horrors of war from where they lived. World War II affected many authors and the development of European literature, across regions over time. European writers became more engaged with writing about the topic of war. The atrocious environment of the war helped authors write many stories and poems about the terrors that occurred during World …show more content…
Andrei Voznesensky’s famous poem, "I am Goya", captures the darkness and impressions of the fear and horror from World War II. In this poem, Voznesensky uses diction and repetition, which creates symbolism, to represent the figure of Francisco Goya, a nineteenth century Spanish painter known for his harsh illustrations of war. For example, Francisco Goya’s painting “The Disasters of War”, shows scenes from the Spanish struggle against the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte, who invaded Spain in 1808. Francisco Goya painted brutal portraits and paintings that protested against the violence of war that was taking place in Spain. Andrei Voznesensky uses this painter Francisco Goya, to represent the time Hitler invaded Russia. The second stanza is an example of the violence and hardship that resulted from Hitler’s invasion of Russia, “I am the tongue of war, the embers of cities on the snows of the year 1941, I am hunger” (Voznesensky 420). The significance of the repetition of “I am Goya”, symbolizes that Andrei Voznesensky is proclaiming himself as Goya, the Spanish painter, who lived through the invasion of Spain by Napoleon’s armies. Andrei Voznesensky has survived the brutal and vicious invasion of Hitler’s army just as Goya did with Napoleon’s armies. These examples of diction, repetition, and symbolism, indicate that World War II had a major impact and effect, on a civilian’s
World War II was one of the most major transformative events of the 20th century, with over 39 million deaths in Europe alone. Large sections of cities were destroyed through the six years continuous of battles, bombing and horrific crimes against humanity. Many European civilians, one way or another, were effected from the war and personally witnessed the horrors of war from where they lived. World War II affected many authors and the development of European literature, across regions over time. European writers became more engaged with writing about the topic of war. The atrocious environment of the war helped authors write many stories and poems about the terrors that occurred during World …show more content…
Andrei Voznesensky’s famous poem, "I am Goya", captures the darkness and impressions of the fear and horror from World War II. In this poem, Voznesensky uses diction and repetition, which creates symbolism, to represent the figure of Francisco Goya, a nineteenth century Spanish painter known for his harsh illustrations of war. For example, Francisco Goya’s painting “The Disasters of War”, shows scenes from the Spanish struggle against the French army under Napoleon Bonaparte, who invaded Spain in 1808. Francisco Goya painted brutal portraits and paintings that protested against the violence of war that was taking place in Spain. Andrei Voznesensky uses this painter Francisco Goya, to represent the time Hitler invaded Russia. The second stanza is an example of the violence and hardship that resulted from Hitler’s invasion of Russia, “I am the tongue of war, the embers of cities on the snows of the year 1941, I am hunger” (Voznesensky 420). The significance of the repetition of “I am Goya”, symbolizes that Andrei Voznesensky is proclaiming himself as Goya, the Spanish painter, who lived through the invasion of Spain by Napoleon’s armies. Andrei Voznesensky has survived the brutal and vicious invasion of Hitler’s army just as Goya did with Napoleon’s armies. These examples of diction, repetition, and symbolism, indicate that World War II had a major impact and effect, on a civilian’s