Tenebrae; An Analysis

By Sarah-Coqueline Bentaieb
Paul Celan, a Jewish born Romanian Holocaust survivor was forced to endure
approximately two excruciating years of forced labor at a concentration camp in Transnistria;
there, he first handedly witnessed the cruelties and inhumanity carried out by the Nazi
Regime. His poem Tenebrae, describes the egregious and macabre circumstances of the
camps. In his work, there is a constant emphasis on the Jewish societys progressively
diminishing faith; this is reflected through the continuous use of symbolism, despairing tone
and personification. Paul Celans work is indicative of a substantial deficiency of faith
through the dishonourable portrayal of God, insinuating that He is in part accountable
for allowing these torturous events to occur.
In this poem, Celan employs symbolism as a representation of the gruesome reality of the
Holocaust to emphasize the torture endured by Jews. The opening lines are compacted with
representation of the pain inflicted on members of the Jewish religion. Celan begins his poem
writing, We are close, Lord. Close and within reach (Celan, 1-2). The use of the personal
pronoun we is significant in this excerpt as it insists on the inclusion of the speaker, Celan,
as well as on the fact that others are enduring this with him. It creates a sense of unity,
particularly between the Jews. The use of the words are close, Lord is representative of the
fact that their time is coming to an end due to the torture they are enduring. In addition to
this, the semantic field of proximity is continuous throughout the development of the poem.
This is evident through the use of words including within reach as they highlight the fact
that although they are currently alive, the pain inflicted on them is so destructive that it will
eventually lead to their death. There is evidently a lack of faith demonstrated in this quotation
as can be demonstrated through the use of the word are. Celan does not use modal verbs to
represent possibility, however he insists on necessity as he states that he is going to die; this
represents a diminishing faith in God as he does not believe that He can protect them from
this torment. As well as this, death, for a pious individual is generally perceived as peaceful
and tranquil, however in this selection this is written in a pejorative tone, insinuating that the
presence of God is worse than the situation they are in now.
Furthermore, Celans use of a despairing tone maintains the objective of demonstrating the
accountability God has in this torturous event. He describes the horrendous sights of deceased
Jews; detailing horrifying factors such as blood, emphasizing the macabre circumstances
endured by Jews. This is evident as Celan writes, It was blood, it was That which you shed,
Lord (Celan, 14-15). In this passage, the speaker is directly addressing God, referring to
Him as you. This is significant as it personalizes the work, contributing to the despairing
tone as Celan expresses his perplexity in a continuously distressing way. As well as this, not
only does Celan insinuate Gods accountability, he directly states that He is responsible for
these events, writing ,it was {blood} which you shed, Lord. Evidently, the speaker is
holding God responsible for these massacres. In place of condemning the Nazi Regime, the
speaker criticizes God. He suggests that it is Him who shed the blood of Jews. Throughout
the continuity of his work, Celan employs emphasis on the fact that the persecution endured
by Jews was a consequence of their religion. Celan details the torture and assassinations
experienced by many through gruesome descriptions, sentimentally attracting the lectors
thereby drawing them away from whom the speaker is criticizing. The speaker insinuates that
whilst they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs, they believed that their saviour
did not protect them. It is incontrovertible that the Jews were tortured as a result of the
dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, however in his work, Celan portrays God as a murderer. In this

passage, there is undoubtedly an absence of faith; this can be demonstrated through the
barbarous description of God. For a devout society, such as Judaism, their Creator is one to
look up to. He represents purity, innocence, holiness, perfection, love and various other
faultless traits. However, this concept is in absolute opposition with the written text, thereby
contributing to the criticism portrayed of God and the constant absence of faith throughout
Celans work.
In addition to this, Celan subsequently personifies blood, psychologically tormenting both the
speaker and the lectors through the parallel between God and these torturous massacres. As
the narration is detailing the repugnant conditions of the Holocaust, the speaker describes a
scene in which there is the discovery of a deceased Jewish victim; blood percolating from its
body. The speaker directly converses with God, as he describes this occurrence; he proclaims,
It cast your image into our eyes, Lord. (Celan, 17). Evidently, blood, a noun, is unable to
cast any images, however its presence in this work is significant as it alludes to the reminder
that God is to blame for the occurrences of these massacres. As previously mentioned, Celan
continuously makes references to the accountability God has in these deaths, however in this
particular excerpt, this point is significantly insistent. It is both emotionally and
psychologically taunting as all that the speaker can discern from this body, is the reflection of
their saviour. This is supported as the name of the Lord is directly referenced in this
quotation, confirming these accusations made by the speaker. God is a figure of protection
along with insurance, however Celan implies that even the power of God did not prevent
these events from occurring. This opposes the idea of God and instead compares it to a figure
of a murderer and assassin, contributing to the loss of hope as the Jews have failed to
remember the identity of their God.
As discerned from excerpts of Celans Tenebrae, there is a continuous accentuation to the
fact that God is to blame for the Holocaust. This is evident through the ways in which the
speaker expresses their perplexity through the proclamation of their doubt to survival,
assertion as to the role God played in this event as well as the murderous portrayal of God
detailed by the speaker. Each of these features interconnect in demonstrating the lack of hope
present in the Jewish society.