Read the stanzas below from the poem “tattoo” by gregg shapiro and complete the instruction that follows. 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.

This poem reflects many findings that research has uncovered regarding what happens to children of Holocaust survivors. Parents who are also Holocaust survivors often suffer the effects of the Holocaust their entire lives. As a result, they may become either withdrawn from their children or overinvolved in their children’s lives. In “Tattoo,” the speaker expresses the pain of being emotionally distant from his or her father despite “wear[ing] him like a cloak.” Although the speaker’s father is physically present, the speaker feels that his or her father is withdrawn. Research has also revealed that parents who are Holocaust survivors often have difficulty communicating about the Holocaust experience—either giving too little or too much information. In “Tattoo,” the speaker expresses frustration that his or her father doesn’t talk about the father’s past. Yet, the weight of the past weighs down on both of them with or without words. Finally, children of Holocaust survivors sometimes experience survivor’s guilt because they were not able to protect their parents. Similarly, the speaker of “Tattoo” expresses the desire to heal his or her father of the emotional wounds that hurt too much even to share.