In H. Heine’s poem “The Silesian Weavers” he writes “Their gloom-enveloped eyes are tearless, They sit at the spinning wheel, snarling cheerless: “Germany, we weave your funeral shroud, A threefold curse be within it endowed-We’re weaving, we’re weaving!” \u00a0This is of course in reference to the awful conditions for factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. \u00a0This poem pertains to the workers in Silesia, a Prussian Province.<\/p>\n
This stanza in the poem is more impactful when taking into account the other two readings. \u00a0Even though Heine’s poem is about Silesia, it could be about any large factory. \u00a0This is not an overreaction to one factory with poor conditions. \u00a0Every factory had these issues. \u00a0Every worker sat “at the spinning wheel, snarling cheerless”. \u00a0The workers are clearly angry with the factory, angry with the new life. \u00a0This is not just obvious because the poem was inspired by an 1844 protest but the language. \u00a0When writing “A threefold curse be within it endowed” Heine was showing this anger. \u00a0The workers are angry about the money and hours because of these conditions. \u00a0It is much easier to like your job when the conditions are acceptable, but 19th century factories were certainly not acceptable. \u00a0The last line of the first stanza is also very telling. \u00a0By using the exclamation point, Heine is implying that “We’re weaving, we’re weaving!” is something the workers had to say often, in order to show the bosses they we’re still working. \u00a0However if they had to show they we’re working then how much effort were the putting into the work?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In H. Heine’s poem “The Silesian Weavers” he writes “Their gloom-enveloped eyes are tearless, They sit at the spinning wheel, snarling cheerless: “Germany, we weave your funeral shroud, A threefold curse be within it endowed-We’re weaving, we’re weaving!” \u00a0This is … Continue reading