Some gold across the water: Paul Celan and Nelly Sachs (On the influence of Holocaust poetry)

The poetry of Paul Celan and Nelly Sachs marks Holocaust discourse. Through the examination of particular poems, this study looks closely at the images and ideas that reveal how these two poets responded to the great personal and public loss unleashed by the Holocaust, and a the connections between the two of them. Both poets were exiles from their home countries, both suffered mental anguish, and both continued to write poetry exclusively in German. They corresponded over many years, seeking comfort and counsel from one another. The ways in which their poems represent mourning and address rage and despair place them at the center of artistic response to the Holocaust, and continue to influence those who write about it.