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Tone of “The Measures Taken” We live in a world where there is always a rationalization for slaughtering, political elimination of anyone who stands in our way, and with whom we strongly disagree. After the Nazis killed Erich Fried’s father, he became aggressive and expressed his feeling through the poem “The Measures Taken. ” He argues that the world will be beautiful and peaceful after the “slaughter” of the evil people (Kennedy and Gioia, 442). The world is full of suffering, and it is caused by the vandalism. The poem describes aggressiveness and chain of emotion.
The point of view of the poem is all unwanted people should be slaughtered in order for others to live peaceful lives. The writer does not want to see any unsought people in this world. He feels that these people are disturbing others. From the topic, we can imply that some portion of the population should be taken. So, when we look at the first line, we know that the writer is offensive of evil and unwanted people. There is not any cheerful tone in the entire poem. The first stanza of the poem says “The lazy are slaughtered/ the world grows industrious” (line 1-2). He feels clumsy people are hurting the industrial world.
Their laziness is the main reason for industrial collapse. These people do not work fast and industries are not able to produce more products; Fried thinks that production is the initial cause of industrial downfall. However, some hard working people can be the cause of the economic crises. Many of them have corrupted the government money. They created unemployment in the world. Although the lazy do work slowly, they have not taken any property. Furthermore, the writer looks around the world and sees ugly people. He thinks that repulsive people have made the whole society awful. He does not want them to live.
Fried would prefer them to be slaughtered. So, “the world grows beautiful” (3-4). Nevertheless, ugly people have also contributed many things to this world. For instance, Socrates is a well known ugly philosopher. He is considered as one of the founders of western philosophy. Do you support to kill ugly people with such creative minds? Even though they are ugly, we should not forget their contribution. He again says “The foolish are slaughtered/ the world grows wise” (5-6). Senseless words can create contradictions in a society. It can split the beautiful community, society and the world.
In the writer’s view, to prevent the society form such condition foolish people should be killed. The fourth stanza states that the sick people are burden of the world. They have spread diseases in the society. The writer wants them to “slaughter” to make the “world healthy. ” Fried further says “The sad are slaughtered/ the world grows merry” (7-8). There is also a saying called “unhappy people make other unhappy. ” The writer does not want to see all sad by one awful person. It is better to kill on rather than creating whole society unpleasant. The world should be full of happiness and that is possible only slaughtering “sad. Similarly, Fried is not satisfied with old people. “Old” often reject young’s ideas. They try to keep old, unreasonable thoughts and prevent the young from change societies’ rules. Fried writes “The old are slaughtered/ the world grows young” (11-12). The world will be full of new creation, rules and ideas only after the death of “old”. On the other hand old people have done many incredible things. For example, Baby Boomber has done amazing things to her community. He works in a senior citizen’s program in New Jersey. She has inspired and helped many old illiterate people to go to school.
Now many of them know to use computer and write English fluently. Fried is also not satisfied with enemies. Enemies have destroyed many beautiful creatures and places. Destruction is really devastating for whole community, society and the world. The writer is very aggressive to them and says “The enemies are slaughtered/ the world grows friendly” (13-14). Enemies are the virus of the society and the world. Let us at the current terrorist attack in Norway. According to The New York Times 92 people were killed with a pair of attack. Attacks can destroy the public property.
It has created fear in people’s minds. Enemies do not allow people to live peacefully. They give inner pain to all. Fried says that all enemies should be slaughter; so, people can live freely. The tone persists up to final stanza as the writer says “The wicked are slaughtered/ the world grows good” (15-16). Atrocious people can interrupt the world’s development and harmony. To keep world on progress “wicked” should be slaughter. As a result, rest of the people get opportunities and have better lives. Evil people are dragging others back. By slaughtering the wicked, this can increase the beauty of the world.
Finally, vandal and unwanted people have created torment in the society and the world. They never give people to live freely and die freely. However, all unwanted people should not be killed. They have right to live and they have also contributed to make this world better. Social stratification is needed to run this modern society; world needs both good and bad people to function. Sources: Gioia, Dana and Kennedy, X. J: Literature; An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing Publication: Pearson (2005) http://www. nytimes. com/2011/07/24/world/europe/24oslo. html? _r=1;scp=2;sq=norway%20massacre;st=cse