Deathfugue Mortality Quotes Page 2
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| Quote #4 Black milk of daybreak we drink you at night |
In the final turn of the fugue, did you notice how Celan slipped "Death is a master aus Deutschland" into the theme about black milk? This addition makes the poem seem to move faster and more out of control, and it also foreshadows the depiction of executions in the last stanza.
| Quote #5 he shoots you with shot made of lead shoots you level and true |
This description of executions is chillingly matter-of-fact. The prisoners did not have any chance of escape; the guard merely points and shoots. But beneath this orderly facade, you can only imagine the panic and terror of the scene. Why does Celan choose to understate this last bit?
