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17 pages 34 minutes read

Martin Niemöller

First They Came...

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1946

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Literary Devices

Refrain

A large portion of this poem by volume is the same few phrases. Repetition is often used in oral storytelling as a strategy for the speaker to remain consistent when they perform. Because Niemöller was often giving speeches, the repetitive nature of this poem allowed him to execute the phrase at opportune times. The refrains also meant that the subject was infinitely interchangeable; Niemöller could call upon certain groups depending on the context of the speech, making it an adaptable way to incorporate this important theme into discussions about many issues.

Rhythm and Meter

“First they came…” is an unmetered poem in free verse. The syntactical regularity of the refrains create a sort of rhythm within the poem on the level of the phrase. The refrains occur in the following order: “they came…” (Lines 1, 2, 3, 4), “and I did not speak out” (Lines 1, 2, 3), “because I was not a…” (Lines 1, 2, 3). This steady beat creates a sense of dread as one group after the other is named and not defended. Each phrase is roughly the same length between punctuation, which follows the pattern of comma, em dash, and period. At the end of the poem, the second refrain still refers to speech, but the new phrasing is abrupt and uncomfortable. The third refrain doesn’t come at all in the last sentence. The poem leaves the pattern incomplete and broken, refusing to resolve the tension for the reader’s benefit. Instead, the reader must sit with their discomfort, reflect on it, and read the poem again.

Diction

Niemöller avoids much specific language in the course of the poem. There are few proper nouns, very little descriptions, and no colorful embellishments. The crimes of the oppressors aren’t specifically named, but the reader can only guess as to their severity and scope. In a way, naming the actions would be a relief because it would alleviate the burden of imagination on the reader.

The lack of specificity is part of what makes this poem enduring; it is adaptable enough to grow with the speaker as their worldview shifts and changes. “They” is a rhetorical slight that can be inflicted on any group of oppressors by naming the people they harm.

Point of View

The speaker of this poem is one person with a limited point of view. They are only aware of what is happening in front of them and what is happening directly to them; if they are aware of bigger events, they don’t care to include them in the poem. The speaker approaches these issues from a myopic standpoint, electing to stop paying attention when they establish that they are not an involved party. The speaker finally notices the absence of others when they are met with silence, and this has troubling implications. If one of the groups was destroyed by the oppressors but the others remained, the speaker might not have even noticed that they were no longer present. The shift at the end of the poem is a change in the fundamental way the speaker sees the world. This speaker has only ever defined themselves in opposition to others, so the question of the speaker’s new identity looms now that comparison is no longer an option.

Narrative

The Holocaust Memorial Museum version of the poem is autobiographical. The groups listed trace Niemöller’s political values in the order they became urgent. The young, nationalist veteran was critical of the liberal Weimar Republic, so he welcomed the crackdown on left-leaning politics. Likewise, as someone who favored conservative policies, he was positioned to approve of consolidating economic power. When he comes to Jewish persecution, Niemöller’s consistency shows his regret for his real-life inaction. He actually did move against some antisemitic policies but only those that incidentally affected the church. He wrote dissents and formed schism groups, but for the Niemöller presently speaking, this is just as good as not acting because he was not saving lives, and at the end of the poem, those other people were all he had. “First they came…” tells the tragic story of a myopic speaker who didn’t realize he was invested in the well-being of a diverse community until it was gone.

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