18 pages • 36 minutes read
Ilya KaminskyWe Lived Happily During the War
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 2013A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
"In a Time of Peace" by Ilya Kaminsky (2019)
Like “We Lived Happily During the War,” this poem bookends the collection, closing it. This poem, however, is far more explicit and specific about the violence in question, further bringing things “home” to American soil and the specifics of Philando Castille’s murder.
"9AM Bombardment" by Ilya Kaminsky (2009)
“9AM Bombardment” demonstrates what a town united in resistance looks like. Here, neither the speaker nor the characters are in tension to the fullness of discomfort because they are victims and protestors to oppression. But there is also an envisioning of community and resistance and meaningful action. This piece serves as a companion to “We Lived Happily During the War,” but offers a different perspective.
"Firing Squad" by Ilya Kaminsky (2019)
This poem, also from Deaf Republic, is one of the most intriguing because of the way the sunlight functions in it. Here, the traditional symbol stands for beauty, steadfastness, and the cycles of nature.
Further Literary Resources
“I will never hear my father's voice”: Ilya Kaminsky on deafness and escaping the Soviet Union by Claire Armitstead (2019)
Writing for The Guardian, literary critic Claire Armitstead interviews Kaminsky and shares her experience exploring Kaminsky’s work. Armitstead gives the reader a multidimensional perspective of the poet as person and artist. She comments on what he shares outside of official questions and interprets how Kaminsky can be perplexing in the way he speaks.
"Deaf Republic (A Review)" by Christian Detisch
Critic Christian Detisch offers an in-depth literary analysis of “We Lived Happily During the War,” as well as the entire book Deaf Republic. He deeply reads into the book as a whole, showing the reader how it functions as a work of art. He also provides an astute analysis of Kaminsky’s literary influences and how Kaminsky relates to them.
"A Soldier Kills a Deaf Boy, and Rebels Respond With a Barricade of Silence" by Karl Kirchway (2019)
Written for The New York Times, Karl Kirchway’s penetrating analysis focuses on the cultural and social implications of Kaminsky’s work, emphasizing how he is both spiritual and secular, or better, secular through the spiritual.
Listen to Poem
In the Poetry Foundation video recording, Kaminsky reads “We Lived Happily During the War,” in the energized, musical style important to his background in Odessa.
