What advice would Niemöller give to the speaker in "I Sit and Look Out" Would the speaker agree with Niemöller's perspective Give evidence from the text to support your reasoning. (100 points)?

Answer 1

Niemöller would advise the speaker in "I Sit and Look Out" to be more active in fighting for justice. He would argue that the speaker is complicit in the oppression of others by remaining passive. Niemöller would point to the speaker's own words as evidence: "I sit and look out / Upon all the sorrows of the world, / And I can hear the groans and cries; / And all I hear, I sit and look out."

The speaker is clearly aware of the suffering of others, but does not do anything to help. Niemöller would argue that this is wrong and that the speaker should be fighting for justice alongside him. The speaker may not agree with Niemöller's perspective, as he seems content to simply observe the world from a distance.

However, the speaker's own words suggest that he is not entirely comfortable with his inaction. The speaker says that he hears the "groans and cries" of the oppressed, which suggests that he is not entirely indifferent to their suffering.

Answer 2

Niemöller might advise the speaker in "I Sit and Look Out" to speak out against injustices and not remain silent in the face of societal issues. The speaker in Whitman's poem would likely agree with Niemöller's perspective, as they observe the suffering and injustices around them but feel overwhelmed and powerless to act, which could be seen as a form of silence. This is evident in the lines "And I see not what there can be more potent than that we fathom that we are alive today / And that the present time is the only time that any of us can be."