Author, Genre). In my introduction to each poem and in the commentary I discuss some of the theological features of the particular poem, drawing attention to the different emphases of each author and piece.84 The historical background to these poems is very important and needs to be emphasised and kept in mind in the exegesis of any passage and in the interpretation of the corpus.85 The fall of Jerusalem constitutes a major watershed in the history of the people of Judah. The loss of statehood was