The siege of Sarajevo was the longest siege in modern history, and an estimated 12,000 people lost their lives. Goran Simic wrote this poem to convey and express his experiences of helplessness, horror, death and fear in Sarajevo during this dreadful useless siege.
The title itself implies the sadness and misery the capital of Bosnia was suffering from. “Sorrow of Sarajevo”, this is to show how Sarajevo as a whole, felt grief and anguish after their loved ones were killed for no reason. They were trapped, unable to escape and flee from the endless consequences of war, they felt helpless had lost all hope for the siege to end .
In the first stanza, the poet describes his surroundings and his daily lifestyle that he had grown accustomed to. “ The Sarajevo wind”, the wind could be interpreted as a calm, gentle breeze, which does not make much sense because it would give a positive image, therefore, contrast with the idea of sorrow and sadness. However the wind could also be interpreted as a strong destructive force, blowing harshly through the streets of Sarajevo. This interpretation comes with a more negative image, how the idea destruction has reached every corner to remind the people of their terrible life that they had no control of. The second line …show more content…
The river became polluted with the woman's blood; suggesting how the siege has destroyed all forms of nature and organic life. Again, he also does not seem affected by the sight of the woman, “As I run across the bridge with my canister of water,” his act of running implies that the area is more risky and dangerous, hence trying to get away as fast as possible. The canister of water represents his hope and will to live, he risks his life to get bread and water to keep him alive, but cannot do anything to stop the people from dying or to escape the city, this conveys the idea of the feeling of