Killing Floor (Masterplots II: Poetry, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Florence Anthony
- First Published: 1978
- Type of Work: Dramatic monologue
- Genres: Poetry, Dramatic monologue
- Subjects: Communism or communists, Politics, Revolutionaries, Murder or homicide, Autobiography, Death or dying, Politicians, Assassination, Russia or Russian people, Soviet Union or Soviets
The Poem
“Killing Floor” is a free-verse monologue that dramatizes three moments in the life of Leon Trotsky. Born Lev Davidovich Bronstein, Trotsky—one of the most important figures of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917—was assassinated in Mexico in 1940 after being exiled from the Soviet Union. Using violent imagery to establish a context of spiritual and political crisis, Ai constructs a poetic autobiography of Trotsky that exposes the spiritual and psychological dimensions underlying historical fact. Related by Ai’s imagined version of Trotsky, the poem’s series...
[The entire page is 1648 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
