As a Jew his life under Nazi rule was extremely restricted, but for a time he continued to write under pseudonyms.

[citation needed] Eight days before his death, his pseudonymous writing was denounced in the antisemitic periodical Arijský boj.

[2] Although he had shown interest in communism in youth religious themes concerning the Book of Job and God became more evident in his writing.

[3] In 2011, White Picture, a collection of Orten's poetry in an English translation by the American poet Lyn Coffin, was published.

Jiří Orten Award, a literary prize for young authors in the Czech Republic, is named in his honor.