Uncle Isidore is a poem about the persona's uncle and how his experiences during World War 2 and the Holocaust caused him to question his faith in God. Stanza one introduces Uncle Isidore in a negative light, describing him as smelly and a beggar. Stanza two implies that like the poet, Uncle Isidore was Jewish and may have survived concentration camps. In stanza three, Uncle Isidore questions what difference there is between God's silence and man's silence during times of suffering. This comment angers God, represented by the thunder and rain in stanza four.

1. UNCLE ISIDORE
BY
DANNIE ABSE
Sophie Long

2. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE
POEM?
Stanza one-
• from this stanza the persona is seeing various things and people that
remind him of his uncle. This is shown by the use of the word “observe”.
• He portrays his uncle negatively, “smelly, schnorror and” He is saying
that he is a begger.
Stanza two-
•The persona says 'Before Auschwitz, Treblinka, he seemed near, those
days of local pogroms, five year programmes' implying that, like Abse,
his uncle was also Jewish so could have experienced being in a German
concentration camp. The last part of the stranza it seems that Uncle
Isidore looked to God for guidance at this time of his life, “Master,
Master of the Universe”.
Stanza three-
• In stanza three Uncle Isidore says, "What difference between the
silence of God and the silence of men?“ Suggesting that we shouldn’t
always expect God to solve our problems and that people should make a
stand themselves.
• This comment made by Uncle Isidore has angered God, “the beautiful
evening sound of thunder and of serious rain.”
Stanza four-

3. KEY THEMES/ IDEAS.
• The main themes from this poem is morals and life
decisions because of what happened at Auschwitz made
Uncle Isidore question his faith.

4. KEY QUOTATIONS.
• “'What difference between the silence of God and the
silence of men?‘”
• “Have you no shame, compassion? Don't you care at
all?‘”
• “he played not to that small child who, big-eyed,
listened - but to the Master of the Universe, blessed be
his name.”
• “in the land of Uz” (where Jews aren’t persecuted).

5. KEY POETIC FEATURES.
• “sprawled like Karl Marx” Using a simile comparing his
Uncle Isidore to a memorable person. Implying that Uncle
Isidore is a memorable person for Abse.
• The tone of the poem seems angry this is because of
the persecution that happened to the Jews in WW2.
• “serious rain” Abse personifies the rain implying that it
is God raining on Uncle Isidore.

6. LINKED TO LARKIN
POEMS.
• “MCMXIV”- Due to the reference of war in stanza two
and the significance of war.
• “Nothing to be said”- As Larkin implies in this poem
that no matter what we do we still die. Linking to Abse’s
poem because of the amount of deaths that occurred in
WW2.
• “For Sidney Beckett”- As both Abse and Larkin convey
being respectful and remembering memorable of a
person.
• “Mr Bleaney”- As Abse is judgemental of Uncle Isidore
at the beginning like Larkin was of the person who had
previously stayed.