Babi Yar - Analysis of the Poem- Yevtushenko speaks in first person throughout the poem. This creates the tone of him being in the shoes of the Jews. As he says in lines 63-64, "No Jewish blood is mixed in mine, but let me be a Jew . . . " He writes the poem to evoke compassion for the Jews and make others aware of their hardships and injustices. "Only then can I call myself Russian." (lines 66-67). …showed first 75 words of 998 total…

…showed last 75 words of 998 total…supporter of the Jewish plight. He sees the injustice that they have been subject to and feels responsible for it in a way. He tries to rationalize why his people, the Russians, have acted so immorally and blames their actions on the influence of others. He calls to his people to reform; simultaneously urging the Jews not to blame them entirely for their actions and to show that they do have natural goodness within them.