September Twelfth, 2001
By X. J. Kennedy
Two caught on film who hurtle
from the eighty-second floor,
choosing between a fireball
and to jump holding hands,aren’t us. I wake beside you,
stretch, scratch, taste the air,
the incredible joy of coffee
and the morning light.Alive, we open eyelids
on our pitiful share of time,
we bubbles rising and bursting
in a boiling pot.
Summary of September Twelfth, 2001
- Popularity of “September Twelfth, 2001”: “September Twelfth, 2001” by X. J. Kennedy, a popular American translator, teacher, book writer and poet, is a highly touching as well as tragic poem. It first appeared in 2004 in The Lords of Misrule published by John Hopkins University. Since then, it has become a textbook piece.It encompasses the poet’s feelings toward the victims of the 9/11 incident. Its popularity, however, lies in the contrast it presents between a happy life and the couple falling from the World Trade Center.
- “September Twelfth, 2001” As a Representative of the Loss of Life and Sense of Time: The poet presents the scene of a couple hurtling down from the 82nd floor of the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. On that fateful day, two passenger aircrafts struck both towers, bringing them down within half an hour killing more than 3,000 persons trapped in the towers. This incident, however, caught on the film stayed in the memories of the poet who presents it in the poetic form, saying that they have a choice to burn in the fire or jump down holding each other’s hands. They went for the second choice. In contrast to that couple, the poet is enjoying with his wife, getting up carefree in the morning light and enjoying coffee. It is actually the time that they have had which others take for granted. It is very short time that we must enjoy as it is like a bubble that rises and bursts.
- Major Themes in “September Twelfth, 2001”: Horrors of 9/11, time, and love are three major thematic strands of this poem. The poet is saddened at the sight of the film showing a couple hurtling down from the 82nd floor of the building. He knows that they must have met their end, and they also know that they are going to die. This live filming shows the horrors of that incident. Such incidents have stayed in the memories of the people. In contrast to this, the poet and his beloved are enjoying their morning coffee after getting up to have the taste of fresh air and carefree life. Yet, both scenes are different in that one is showing love and other horrors and in-between lies in the sense of having a “share of time” that lies between the rising and bursting of a bubble.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in “September Twelfth, 2001”
literary devices are literary strategies that the writers use to strategize their messages to reach the audiences. X. J. Kennedy has also used some of these strategies as shown below.
- Allusion: The poem and its very title allude to the incident of 9/11 and its horrors.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line such as the sound of /o/ in “Two caught on film who hurtle” and the sound of /a/ in “Aren’t us. I wake beside you” and again /a/ in “stretch, scratch, taste the air.”
- Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /h/ in “holding hands.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line such as the sound of /l/ “Two caught on film who hurtle”, /s/ in “stretch, scratch, taste the air” and the sound of /b/ in “we bubbles rising and bursting.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. X. J. Kennedy has used imagery in this poem such as “Two caught on film who hurtle”, “and to jump holding hands” and “the incredible joy of coffee.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different in nature. The poet has used the metaphor comparing himself with the bubbles and the couple with the things as “hurtle” shows.
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem show coffee, fireball, and eyelids as symbols of life and death.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in “September Twelfth, 2001”
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction and Tone: The poem shows highly descriptive diction and a dry tone.
- Free Verse: The poem does not follow any rhyme scheme. Therefore, it is a free verse poem.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem with each comprising four verses.
Quotes to be Used
These lines from “September Twelfth, 2001” are useful when showing the importance of time in one’s life.
Alive, we open eyelids
on our pitiful share of time,
we bubbles rising and bursting
in a boiling pot.
