3. The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing
against a white stone…
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly ‘way up high.
It went away I’m sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.
For seven years I’ve lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don’t live in here,
in the ghetto.
4. INITIAL ANALYSIS
What is the poem about?
How does it make you feel?
Who is the intended audience?
What are some specific words that give meaning to
the poem?
How does the form affect the poem?
Who would be writing this and what is their
purpose?
6. THE AUTHOR
Written by Pavel Friedman
Born on January 7, 1921
Sent to Terezin in April 1942
Died in Auschwitz on
September 29, 1944
7. THE CULTURE
The poem was written in Terezin, a
concentration camp established by the
Gestapo during WWII
The premise for this camp was to show the
Red Cross how humanely Jews were being
treated
Those sent to this camp were
scholars, artists, and musicians. They were
encouraged to live creative lives
Terezin was liberated on May 9th, 1945
8. THE TRUTH
Of the 144,000 Jews sent there, 33,000 died
Most of these deaths were due to poor
conditions:
Disease
Hunger
Stress
Approx. 88,000 were sent to extermination
camps, including Auschwitz
17,247 Jews survived Terezin
9. FINAL ANALYSIS
How does knowing the context affect the
poem’s message?
How does the poem affect you now that you
know the context?
What in the poem changes based on the
context?
Is it better to know the context before
reading the poem, does the poem have
more power without the context, or does it
matter?
