What did you learn? Did this discussion change your reading of this text in any way(s)? If so, how?
How do you interpret the recurrence of the word “how” throughout this poem? What significance do you think its repetition might have within the context of this particular lament?
In today’s video, Dr. Vayntrub and Dr. Baden discussed multiple possible ways to interpret the acrostic poems in each chapter of Lamentations (6:20). Which did you find most compelling and why? Do you see any alternative ways to interpret the acrostic?
Who do you think the author of Lamentations was? Why might it be Jeremiah? Why might it not be Jeremiah?
Applying the Text:
Lamentations is a text about experiencing grief and trauma. How can Lamentations speak to a contemporary audience? Can this text provide a channel to help explore our grief today?
The “on the ground” reporting of the destruction of Jerusalem in Lamentations feels somewhat in contrast to the poetic style of this text. It is as if the pain of the moment can only be expressed through an artistic form. How does art and poetry allow us as readers, or storytellers, to explore emotions more fully? Do you sense that is what the author has accomplished here?