Do you understand this poem?

Question

When the New World Order came for the communists,

I remained silent;

I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,

I remained silent;

I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,

I did not speak out;

I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,

I remained silent;

I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,

there was no one left to speak out.

Answer 1

I do. The groups keep being attacked by the NWO. The poet doesn't act because none of the groups have him as a member. (Not a communist, not a social democrat, etc...) The NWO (The Gov't in the poem's world) takes away (imprisons/kills) the groups. The poet does nothing, thinking he is safe. Once all the groups are gone, there is no one left to protest the NWO attacking him.

Answer 2

yes .. I think that i understood the poem...

It says that whenever u see the non justice and exploitation, u have to raise voice against of that, ..it doesnt matter that to which community are u belong to.. because each community arround u makes the society.. the unity strenghthen u.. otherwise u will be alone, and when someone attack u or try to harm u, no one would be there to support u..  

Answer 3

All that evil needs to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.

Answer 4

look after your enimies as you would your friends?

Answer 5

Yes, of course, it means that you should always speak out on behalf of other people who are suffering, and you should always stand up to injustice and not wait until your own turn comes.

You mention Iraq - I myself am against the Americans' actions in Iraq,of course, but many, if not most, American citizens also want it to stop because their own children and relatives are being killed in the Iraq war.

Answer 6

Yes! We had that read in the school assembly once, in the holocaust remembrance service. It's basically saying you shouldn't wait to speak out until it directly concerns you.

It's an amazing poem.  

Answer 7

This is actually a pretty famous piece of doggerel verse written about n**i Germany.  

Answer 8

I don't refer to this as poetry it doesn't rhyme and has no rhythm,                                  This is a just a list of quotations.

  They are put together to point out that if we don't consider other people  worthy of recognition, we can't expect others to care what happens to us.

Answer 9

Nope, me neither perhaps it's just a bit of silly nonsence someone put down on paper and it's meant to be what it is. Not very good at all.