‘Shooting Stars’ by Carol Ann Duffy

Poem Context ‘Shooting Stars’ by Carol Ann Duffy was written by the poet as a plea to humanity not to repeat the horrors of the past. ‘Shooting Stars’ by Carol Ann Duffy was written by the poet as a plea to humanity not to repeat the horrors of the past.

The poem is a recount of a Jewish woman as she waits for her death. The poem is a recount of a Jewish woman as she waits for her death. The woman describes the first hand horror of the violence that she witnesses. The woman describes the first hand horror of the violence that she witnesses.

The Holocaust The systematic, bureaucratic state sponsored persecution and slaughter of 6 million Jews by the Nazi’s and their collaborators.

Not just Jews: Communists Communists Socialists Socialists Gypsies Gypsies Homosexuals Homosexuals Disabled – physically and mentally. Disabled – physically and mentally.

Racial Superiority The Nazi’s believed that anyone who could be labelled as ‘racially inferior’ needed to be cleansed in order to protect the ‘Ayran race’ The Nazi’s believed that anyone who could be labelled as ‘racially inferior’ needed to be cleansed in order to protect the ‘Ayran race’

Methods of killing

Einsatzgruppen These were mobile killing units that carried out mass murder operations in Eastern Europe. These were mobile killing units that carried out mass murder operations in Eastern Europe. Large groups of people were rounded up and force to dig trenches. They would then stand on the side and where shot. Large groups of people were rounded up and force to dig trenches. They would then stand on the side and where shot. They literally dug their own graves. They literally dug their own graves.

Gas Vans Victims were herded into converted lorries and vans and taken for a drive Victims were herded into converted lorries and vans and taken for a drive The carbon monoxide produced by the engine was then pumped into the van killing all the people inside. The carbon monoxide produced by the engine was then pumped into the van killing all the people inside. A long slow death. A long slow death.

Gas Chambers The introduction of Zyclone B gas (prussic acid) allowed the Nazi’s to murder vast numbers of inferiors in a relatively short time. The introduction of Zyclone B gas (prussic acid) allowed the Nazi’s to murder vast numbers of inferiors in a relatively short time.

Total estimated victims 6 million Jews 6 million Jews 3 million Soviet POWs 3 million Soviet POWs 2 million ethnic Poles 2 million ethnic Poles 1 million others 1 million others Estimated over 12 million victims Estimated over 12 million victims

Equivalent to the annihilation of Greece