Question

We don’t breathe the same air speak the same language live in the same universe We are continents, worlds apart I am sorry my life has remained unscathed His scars still bleed, his bruises don’t fade If I could trade places with him I would pad the rest of his days wrap him in gauze and velvet absorb the shocks and treat his wounds I would scrub the numbers from his flesh extinguish the fire and give him back his life
Analyze the conceits used in the stanzas and how they relate to the theme of the poem “Tattoo” by Gregg Shapiro.

Answer 1

Greg Shapiro's poem "Tattoo" is about his Holocaust-surviving father. It is related to the World War II time period and specifically the Holocaust against Jewish people.

Answer 2

In this poem, the author uses several conceits. A conceit is a type of metaphor that compares two unlikely things in a surprising or clever way. The unlikelihood of the comparisons often strengthens the impact of the conceits. In the case of the poem "Tattoo," the author uses conceits in two main ways. The first one is the fact that the author tries to emphasize the physical distance between him and his father by using the metaphor of continents and worlds. The second one is the fact that the author uses concrete items to talk about attacks and a desire to protect (gauze, velvet, etc.), when he is actually referring to emotional, not physical scars.