(no subject)
Perkins 3
Cody Perkins
Ms. Felcher
Honors English Period 3
25 September 2005
Deeper Than Just Numbers
Life itself is very fragile. When a person is born, they are given two names; a first and a last. These names follow you through life and are your basic identification. On the 11 of September, 2001 over 2000 people, all with names of coarse were killed in a terrorist attack on America. Who’s to tell how many identities were stolen and categorized among the tragic treacherous day? In the news and on television specials, the victims were classified all as one number which is okay when you are talking about facts but rarely individual names or different peoples’ lives were talked about. A poet by the name of Billy Collins wrote a poem titled, “The Names” where he refers to certain victims names and where and as he sees them. In one phrase of the poem where Collins refers to victims as rain droplets, represents each victim and so many rain droplets for so many victims; not just September 11 but almost every day when on the news reports victims of crime are not named just numbered. It is good to see the martyred people finally get recognition of existence on this earth as actual humans and not just a number.
Billy Collins’s poem “The Names” is written in a way that really makes you think about what exactly he is saying. Personally when I read it for the first time I had to skim and reread a couple lines, just so I can get the meaning. Behind the metaphors there is something deeper than him just seeing names in the windows, in the sky, or on the roof as he lay in bed at night. Collins was trying to get the reader to that he was actually was recognizing the victims of September 11 and giving them their personal respect that they deserve. In a way I feel that he is letting them know that they are thought of as actual humans and that they had lives. They had sons, daughters, husbands, and wifes. As a reader, you come to the understanding that he feels even though physically these people are gone, he belives spiritually they are still here from the following sections in the poem where Collins writes , “Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal” (15) or “ I see you spelled out on storefront windows,”(21). Collins use of metaphors are farley original and he obviously has his own style of poetry which is really affective.
September 11 was one of the worst days in American history. All Americans were struck by this event in different ways. Some people wrote songs, individuals made movies and many wrote books. On the other hand, you never hear about exactly how this tradgedy has affected a person. Billy Collins chose to write and outstanding poem where he is in a way coping with this event and also paying respect to the victims by actually naming them and not classifying them as a number. He is showing that he is thinking of them and they cannot get out of his head. The poem is really good and people all over should read it .
Cody Perkins
Ms. Felcher
Honors English Period 3
25 September 2005
Deeper Than Just Numbers
Life itself is very fragile. When a person is born, they are given two names; a first and a last. These names follow you through life and are your basic identification. On the 11 of September, 2001 over 2000 people, all with names of coarse were killed in a terrorist attack on America. Who’s to tell how many identities were stolen and categorized among the tragic treacherous day? In the news and on television specials, the victims were classified all as one number which is okay when you are talking about facts but rarely individual names or different peoples’ lives were talked about. A poet by the name of Billy Collins wrote a poem titled, “The Names” where he refers to certain victims names and where and as he sees them. In one phrase of the poem where Collins refers to victims as rain droplets, represents each victim and so many rain droplets for so many victims; not just September 11 but almost every day when on the news reports victims of crime are not named just numbered. It is good to see the martyred people finally get recognition of existence on this earth as actual humans and not just a number.
Billy Collins’s poem “The Names” is written in a way that really makes you think about what exactly he is saying. Personally when I read it for the first time I had to skim and reread a couple lines, just so I can get the meaning. Behind the metaphors there is something deeper than him just seeing names in the windows, in the sky, or on the roof as he lay in bed at night. Collins was trying to get the reader to that he was actually was recognizing the victims of September 11 and giving them their personal respect that they deserve. In a way I feel that he is letting them know that they are thought of as actual humans and that they had lives. They had sons, daughters, husbands, and wifes. As a reader, you come to the understanding that he feels even though physically these people are gone, he belives spiritually they are still here from the following sections in the poem where Collins writes , “Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal” (15) or “ I see you spelled out on storefront windows,”(21). Collins use of metaphors are farley original and he obviously has his own style of poetry which is really affective.
September 11 was one of the worst days in American history. All Americans were struck by this event in different ways. Some people wrote songs, individuals made movies and many wrote books. On the other hand, you never hear about exactly how this tradgedy has affected a person. Billy Collins chose to write and outstanding poem where he is in a way coping with this event and also paying respect to the victims by actually naming them and not classifying them as a number. He is showing that he is thinking of them and they cannot get out of his head. The poem is really good and people all over should read it .