Jewish Literature’s Impelling Force on History - Analyzing the Mutual Reflection of Jewish Texts and Jewish Culture

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Continuing to appreciate Bloom’s argumentative analysis, we consider Bialik’s Hebrew and Yiddish writing in his nationalistic poetry, which called for a reawakening of the Jewish people. Bloom writes, “But poetic influence need not make poets less original; as often it makes them more original, though not therefore necessarily better.”[4] This statement by Bloom is paradoxical in its nature, but in the context of Jewish history, it may become clearer. Furthermore, history is also no less or more original than its predecessors even though it is a direct consequence of it. While we tend not to consider history in terms of originality, I see no other way to contemplate its purity and sense of origin. Similarly, Bialik’s writing regarding historic events must be condemned, as perhaps, “more original,” yet, not necessarily better Bialik’s balance of politics and persuasive narrative support his discussions of Zionism and the need for the Jewish people to rise and fight against this suppressive force they have been facing since their beginning. Both Bialik’s poetry and the reality of history at the time intertwine to support their separate cause; the poet’s need for readership was strengthened by his use of relevant content, and the war against anti-Semitism was strengthened by the strong support of respected literary authors.

Finally, and most contemporarily, Allen Ginsberg’s poetry represents the mutually progressive relationship of Jewish history and Jewish literature. As a founding member of the Beat Movement, Ginsberg rejected standard narrative values and advocated for sexual liberation and lifestyle exploration. His famous poem Howl discusses the “whom,” the ideal American’s were but that the people of this poem are not the ordinary, and are on the contrary, the artists, drug users and poets. The second section discusses the “what,” more specifically what destroyed these minds. Ginsberg suggests the answer is Moloch, which in the Hebrew Bible is an unfriendly idolatrous god. In this context, the poem concerns war, government, capitalism, and mainstream culture as Moloch. Therefore Ginsberg is associating the downfall of purity with religion. Together the two are a poison for youth and love. This example of modern poetry reflects the society’s greater thought of religious values and aspects outside of suppressive religions. Judaism is now associated with the ubiquity of real world politics and capitalism instead of strictly anti-Semitism and suppression. This is an age of true acceptance and assimilation as the literature illuminates.

Understanding texts such as Harold Blooms, The Anxiety of Influence and relating the values embedded within them to the history of Jewish literature brings to light the everlasting, mutually beneficial relationship between these two entities, which slowly push each other to progress over time.

Works Cited

Bialik, H.N. "In the City of Slaughter." In the City of Slaughter. N.p., 1948. Web. May 2015.

Bloom, Harold. The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. New York: Oxford UP, 1997. Print.

Ginsberg, Allen. "Howl." Poetry Foundation. Carl Solomon, 1956. Web. May 2015.

Heine, Hinrich. "Donna Clara." Heinrich Heine's Poem:. N.p., n.d. Web. May 2015.

Labrat, Dunash Ben. "He Said Don't Sleep." Jewish Virtual Library. N.p., 920-990. Web. May 2015.

I pledge on my honor I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this assignment.

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