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The Subject of The Poem
The Subject of The Poem
The Subject of The Poem
and honor of the victims of 9/11, an attack that brought about an abrasion to
our nations security. In a literal, unembellished sense, this poem follows a man
who goes about his day, finding letters that spell out various last names in
everything he sees. The man catches names in different aspects of nature and
concludes the list of his findings with the statement that he nearly lacks space in his
heart for all these people, stating, So many names, there is barely room on the walls
of the heart (line 54). My preliminary reaction to The Names consisted of a sliver
of speculation that it may be related to 9/11; I came to this realization when Collins
listed off a plethora of names, which sounded very much like a list of victims.
much. One of the many features of The Names that appeals to me and keeps me
absorbed is the authors use of images from nature, describing them in a way so
vivid one would have to be quite abnormal to abhor. A couple examples of these
images are the phrases boughs of an ancient maple (31) and rose clouds (40).
Another facet of this poem that appealed to me is the title. It implies the importance
of the names listed in this poem, distinguishing the significant last names of the
9/11 victims from the names in a literal sense, which are just mere letters the
speaker catches sight of. An additional aspect of this poem that appeals to me in is
its purpose, which serves to honor the people who fell victim to the 9/11 terrorist
attack. This appeals to me because it embodies the sorrow and the remembrance
that all Americans feel towards those who passed on that day.
The Names is a metaphorical representation of how Americans feel about
the September 11 attacks. This poem manifests the fact that we carry this tragedy
with us and can find countless reminders of it in our daily lives. Collins exemplifies
this when he writes, Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory (53). The
message of this poem is that we will never forget these people, although it may seem
as though there is not enough space to keep them all in our hearts. This message is
9/11 attack had a large, generalized impact on our country as a whole. Collins use of
imagery helps convey the poems meaning. He uses many words rich in sensory
qualities that assist in giving the poem a melancholy charge. A second language
choice Collins uses to bring about the meaning of the poem is tone. From the start of
the poem, he evokes a gloomy, desolate atmosphere that puts readers in a somber
mood, leaving them in perfect position to be affected by his writings of 9/11. Collins
stirs this aura in the very beginning of the poem: Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm
of the night. A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze (1-2).
The main idea of The Names by Billy Collins is the commemoration of the
victims of 9/11. I am fond of this poem, mainly because of its abundance of imagery.
The idea of this poem is important not only for me but for others as well because it
Additionally, this poem helps keep those we lost in our hearts by inscribing their
Work Cited
Collins, Billy. "The Names - Billy Collins." Billy Collins. N.p., 24 2005. Web. 30 Oct
2012. <http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/the_names_billy.html>.