“A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

“A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht first appeared in 1938 as part of his collection “Svendborger Gedichte” (Svendborg Poems). The poem reflects Brecht’s characteristic focus on the perspective of the working class, interrogating the traditional narratives of history by questioning the overlooked contributions of ordinary laborers to monumental achievements. Its central theme is the invisibility of the proletariat in the grand tales of kings, wars, and empires, serving as a critique of elitist historiography. The poem’s popularity in academic settings stems from its accessible yet provocative style, encouraging readers to rethink historical narratives and embrace a critical lens, making it a staple in literature and history textbooks worldwide.

Text: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

Who built the seven gates of Thebes?
The books are filled with names of kings.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.
Who built the city up each time? In which of Lima’s houses,
That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished
Where did the masons go? Imperial Rome
Is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up? Over whom
Did the Caesars triumph? Byzantium lives in song.
Were all her dwellings palaces? And even in Atlantis of the legend
The night the seas rushed in,
The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.

Young Alexander conquered India.
He alone?
Caesar beat the Gauls.
Was there not even a cook in his army?
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet
was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?
Frederick the Great triumphed in the Seven Years War.
Who triumphed with him?

Each page a victory
At whose expense the victory ball?
Every ten years a great man,
Who paid the piper?

So many particulars.
So many questions.

Annotations: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

Line	Annotation
Who built the seven gates of Thebes?	Brecht begins by questioning the traditional attribution of great works to kings or leaders, focusing instead on the laborers who physically created them, a theme that runs through the poem.
The books are filled with names of kings.	Highlights the historical bias that glorifies rulers while ignoring the contributions of the common people.
Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?	Uses rhetorical questioning to emphasize the physical labor involved in monumental achievements, challenging the notion that leaders alone are responsible for them.
And Babylon, so many times destroyed.	References Babylon, a historically significant city, to illustrate how its repeated rebuilding required the work of unnamed laborers.
Who built the city up each time?	Continues to question the erasure of workers in historical narratives.
In which of Lima’s houses, That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?	Alludes to the exploitation of native labor during the colonial era, particularly in Peru (Lima), where indigenous workers lived in poverty while creating wealth for colonizers.
In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished, Where did the masons go?	Refers to the Great Wall of China, questioning the fate of the workers who constructed it, often under harsh conditions, with their efforts largely forgotten.
Imperial Rome Is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up?	Points to the celebrated monuments of Rome and asks who physically built them, bringing attention to the unnamed laborers and slaves behind their construction.
Over whom Did the Caesars triumph?	Challenges the glorification of Roman emperors by asking who bore the cost of their conquests.
Byzantium lives in song. Were all her dwellings palaces?	A critique of romanticized depictions of Byzantium, highlighting the likely disparity between the grandeur of palaces and the living conditions of the common people.
And even in Atlantis of the legend The night the seas rushed in, The drowning men still bellowed for their slaves.	References Atlantis as a mythical example of inequality, suggesting that even in catastrophe, the societal structures of oppression persisted.
Young Alexander conquered India. He alone?	Questions the narrative of individual heroism attributed to Alexander the Great, emphasizing that his conquests were supported by countless unnamed soldiers and workers.
Caesar beat the Gauls. Was there not even a cook in his army?	Uses irony to point out that even mundane roles, like cooks, are essential in supporting a military campaign, challenging the singular focus on leaders.
Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?	Highlights the human cost of war, suggesting that the suffering of the common people is overlooked in historical accounts focused on rulers like Philip II of Spain.
Frederick the Great triumphed in the Seven Years War. Who triumphed with him?	Questions the collective effort and sacrifices behind the military successes of figures like Frederick the Great, whose victories are often credited solely to them.
Each page a victory At whose expense the victory ball?	Critiques the celebratory tone of historical records, questioning the cost borne by the oppressed or the laboring classes for each “victory.”
Every ten years a great man, Who paid the piper?	Reflects on the recurring glorification of “great men” in history while ignoring the price paid by the masses for their achievements.
So many particulars. So many questions.	Concludes the poem with a call for critical inquiry into history, urging readers to consider the perspectives and contributions of those omitted from the dominant narratives.

Literary And Poetic Devices: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

Device	Example	Explanation
Allusion	“Young Alexander conquered India. He alone?”	Refers to historical figures and events (e.g., Alexander the Great), adding depth and universality to the poem’s themes.
Anaphora	“Who built…?” “Who reared…?” “Who triumphed…?”	Repetition of the word “Who” at the beginning of successive lines emphasizes the central theme of questioning history.
Antithesis	“Each page a victory / At whose expense the victory ball?”	Contrasts celebration with the unseen cost of labor, highlighting disparities in historical narratives.
Apostrophe	“Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?”	Addresses historical figures directly, even though they are not present, drawing attention to the disparity between rulers and laborers.
Cacophony	“Hauled the craggy blocks of stone”	Harsh consonant sounds reflect the physical toil and difficulty of labor.
Connotation	“Victory ball”	Suggests a celebratory event, but with an undertone of criticism about who bears the cost of such triumphs.
Diction	“Imperial Rome is full of arcs of triumph”	Uses formal, historical vocabulary to mimic the tone of historical records while subverting their content.
Ellipsis	“Young Alexander conquered India. He alone?”	Leaves out unnecessary details, focusing attention on the absurdity of attributing entire achievements to a single individual.
Enjambment	“Over whom / Did the Caesars triumph?”	The sentence flows from one line to the next without a pause, mimicking the continuous march of history and labor.
Epiphora	“Who built the city up each time?” “Where did the masons go?”	Repetition at the ends of lines reinforces the focus on the workers’ erasure.
Euphemism	“Victory ball”	A subtle reference to celebrations of conquest, masking the underlying violence and exploitation.
Hyperbole	“So many particulars. So many questions.”	Exaggeration to emphasize the vastness of overlooked details in historical records.
Imagery	“In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished”	Creates a visual picture of exhausted workers, inviting empathy for their labor.
Irony	“Was there not even a cook in his army?”	Points out the absurdity of ignoring the contributions of ordinary people in great historical achievements.
Juxtaposition	“Imperial Rome… Over whom did the Caesars triumph?”	Puts the grandeur of Rome against the hidden suffering of those conquered, contrasting glory with exploitation.
Metaphor	“Each page a victory / At whose expense the victory ball?”	Frames history as a “victory ball,” symbolizing celebratory narratives that ignore the cost of labor and sacrifice.
Paradox	“So many particulars. So many questions.”	The more details provided, the more questions arise, underscoring the incompleteness of historical records.
Personification	“Byzantium lives in song.”	Gives life to a historical empire, emphasizing its cultural legacy while questioning its treatment of ordinary people.
Rhetorical Question	“Who built the seven gates of Thebes?”	Uses questions to provoke thought and challenge traditional historical narratives.
Symbolism	“The seven gates of Thebes,” “Imperial Rome,” “Chinese wall”	These historical symbols represent broader themes of labor, exploitation, and the erasure of workers’ contributions from history.

Themes: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

• The Erasure of Workers in History
• Brecht’s poem underscores the invisibility of workers in traditional historical narratives. He questions the glorification of kings, generals, and emperors, asking, “Who built the seven gates of Thebes? Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?” This rhetorical questioning reveals the laborers’ erasure despite their fundamental role in constructing civilizations. By pointing out that history books are “filled with names of kings,” Brecht critiques the systemic bias that excludes ordinary people from historical recognition, emphasizing that these anonymous individuals were the true architects of monumental achievements.
• The Cost of Triumphs
• The poem highlights the human cost behind victories often attributed to “great men.” Brecht writes, “Each page a victory / At whose expense the victory ball?” This line critiques the celebratory tone of historical accounts, which rarely acknowledge the sacrifices made by soldiers, laborers, and oppressed peoples. Through examples such as “Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed. Were there no other tears?” Brecht forces readers to consider the widespread suffering and exploitation hidden behind these historical triumphs.
• Challenging Heroic Narratives
• Brecht questions the myth of the lone hero in history, using irony to dismantle these narratives. For instance, he asks, “Young Alexander conquered India. He alone?” and “Caesar beat the Gauls. Was there not even a cook in his army?” These questions mock the oversimplification of historical achievements as the deeds of single individuals, emphasizing instead the collective efforts of many. By doing so, Brecht invites readers to rethink the traditional accounts that glorify leaders while ignoring the contributions of others who made their successes possible.
• 4. Social Inequality and Exploitation
• The poem critiques the deep social inequalities that have persisted throughout history. Brecht references Lima, a city “glittering with gold,” and asks, “In which of Lima’s houses… lived those who built it?” This juxtaposition of wealth and poverty highlights how the laborers who created wealth were often excluded from its benefits. Similarly, the image of the “Chinese wall” and the fate of the masons after its completion reflects the exploitation of workers, whose toil and sacrifice remain unacknowledged in the historical record. Brecht’s work advocates for a more equitable recognition of human contributions to history.

Literary Theories and “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

Literary Theory	Application to the Poem	References from the Poem
Marxist Criticism	This theory focuses on class struggles, power dynamics, and economic disparities. Brecht’s poem critiques the glorification of ruling elites while highlighting the overlooked labor of the working class, aligning with Marxist ideals.	“Who built the seven gates of Thebes? / The books are filled with names of kings.” Questions the historical erasure of laborers.
Postcolonial Theory	Brecht critiques the exploitation inherent in imperialism and colonization, questioning the laborers’ living conditions in wealth-laden colonies and challenging the triumphalist narratives of empire-building.	“In which of Lima’s houses, / That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?” Refers to colonial exploitation.
Deconstruction	This theory focuses on questioning binaries and dismantling grand narratives. Brecht deconstructs the traditional narrative of history as a tale of “great men” by exposing its inherent silences and contradictions.	“Young Alexander conquered India. / He alone?” Challenges the individual-centric narrative of historical conquests.
New Historicism	Examines how historical and cultural contexts shape literature. The poem reinterprets historical achievements to foreground the roles of common people, questioning the ideological underpinnings of traditional historical narratives.	“Each page a victory / At whose expense the victory ball?” Critiques the historical glorification of elite triumphs.

Critical Questions about “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

• How does Brecht challenge traditional historical narratives in the poem?
• Brecht challenges traditional historical narratives by questioning the glorification of rulers and elites while ignoring the contributions of ordinary people. He asks, “Who built the seven gates of Thebes? / The books are filled with names of kings,” directly critiquing the erasure of laborers from the historical record. By juxtaposing the monumental achievements attributed to kings with the unacknowledged toil of workers, Brecht shifts the focus from the celebrated few to the overlooked many, encouraging readers to reconsider whose stories history prioritizes and why.
• What is Brecht’s perspective on power and its relationship to labor?
• Brecht’s perspective on power highlights the exploitation inherent in the relationship between laborers and the ruling class. In lines such as, “Phillip of Spain wept as his fleet was sunk and destroyed. / Were there no other tears?” he critiques how the suffering of the common people is overshadowed by the narratives of powerful rulers. This suggests that power relies on the labor and sacrifices of the masses, yet their contributions and struggles are often erased or marginalized in historical accounts.
• How does Brecht address the idea of collective effort versus individual achievement?
• The poem repeatedly emphasizes collective effort over individual achievement, questioning the hero-centric narratives of history. Brecht asks, “Young Alexander conquered India. / He alone?” and “Caesar beat the Gauls. / Was there not even a cook in his army?” These rhetorical questions highlight the absurdity of attributing monumental achievements to a single individual while ignoring the collective labor and sacrifices of countless unnamed contributors, from soldiers to cooks, without whom such triumphs would be impossible.
• How does the poem critique social inequality and exploitation throughout history?
• Brecht critiques social inequality and exploitation by juxtaposing grandeur with suffering. In lines such as, “In which of Lima’s houses, / That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?” he exposes the stark disparity between the wealth of colonial elites and the poverty of the laborers who created it. Similarly, his reference to the Chinese wall—”In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished / Where did the masons go?”—underscores the harsh conditions endured by workers, whose contributions are ignored in the historical glorification of monumental achievements. These examples demonstrate how history often reflects and perpetuates systemic inequalities.

Literary Works Similar to “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

1. “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
   Explores the fleeting nature of power and the forgotten labor behind monumental achievements, similar to Brecht’s critique of erasing workers from history.
2. “The Builders” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
   Focuses on the contributions of ordinary individuals to the fabric of society, resonating with Brecht’s emphasis on the role of laborers in historical achievements.
3. “I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman
   Celebrates the dignity of the working class, aligning with Brecht’s advocacy for recognizing the efforts of ordinary people in shaping history.
4. “The Mask of Anarchy” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
   Critiques power structures and calls for recognition of the oppressed, much like Brecht’s questioning of historical narratives glorifying the elite.

Representative Quotations of “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

Quotation	Context	Theoretical Perspective
“Who built the seven gates of Thebes?”	Questions the erasure of laborers in historical records, focusing on the physical labor behind monumental achievements.	Marxist Criticism: Highlights class struggle and the overlooked contributions of the proletariat.
“The books are filled with names of kings.”	Critiques the elitist bias in historical narratives that glorify rulers while ignoring the masses who made their achievements possible.	New Historicism: Challenges the ideological underpinnings of recorded history.
“Was it the kings who hauled the craggy blocks of stone?”	Uses rhetorical questioning to emphasize the physical toil involved in building, challenging the notion of kings as sole architects of history.	Deconstruction: Dismantles hierarchical binaries of rulers versus workers.
“And Babylon, so many times destroyed. Who built the city up each time?”	Highlights the repetitive and unacknowledged labor of workers who rebuilt destroyed cities.	Postcolonial Theory: Reflects on labor exploitation during imperial and colonial endeavors.
“In which of Lima’s houses, / That city glittering with gold, lived those who built it?”	Critiques the disparity between the wealth of colonial elites and the impoverished laborers who built the city.	Postcolonial Theory: Explores inequality and exploitation under colonial systems.
“In the evening when the Chinese wall was finished, / Where did the masons go?”	Questions the fate of workers after completing monumental projects, highlighting their invisibility in historical records.	Marxist Criticism: Emphasizes the exploitation and subsequent neglect of the working class.
“Imperial Rome is full of arcs of triumph. Who reared them up?”	Points to the labor behind celebrated symbols of power, questioning the glorification of emperors.	New Historicism: Challenges dominant narratives of imperial power.
“Young Alexander conquered India. / He alone?”	Mocks the hero-centric portrayal of historical figures, emphasizing the collective efforts behind conquests.	Deconstruction: Questions the myth of the lone hero.
“Each page a victory / At whose expense the victory ball?”	Critiques the celebratory tone of historical records, drawing attention to the suffering and sacrifices of the oppressed.	Marxist Criticism: Critiques the glorification of elite victories at the cost of worker exploitation.
“So many particulars. So many questions.”	Concludes the poem with a call to critically examine historical narratives and ask uncomfortable questions about labor and exploitation.	Critical Theory: Encourages a reevaluation of historical texts to uncover silenced voices and omitted truths.

Suggested Readings: “A Worker Reads History” by Bertolt Brecht

1. Brecht, Bertolt. “A worker reads history.” Guardian (Sydney) 1744 (2016): 12.
2. CLOUGH, ARTHUR HUGH, et al. “Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth.” Poetry for the Many, OR Books, 2024, pp. 155–59. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.22679651.47. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
3. Steedman, Carolyn. “Caesura: A Worker Reads History and a Historian Writes Poetry.” Poetry for Historians: Or, W. H. Auden and History, 1st ed., Manchester University Press, 2018, pp. 146–58. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvnb7mvm.9. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
4. Tigar, Michael E. “Connecting Life, Law, and Social Change.” Sensing Injustice: A Lawyer’s Life in the Battle for Change, NYU Press, 2021, pp. 283–300. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv27fttv7.14. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.