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”: The poem ‘September Twelfth, 2001’ was written by X. J. Kennedy, a popular American translator, teacher, book writer and poet. This is a highly touching as well as tragic poem. It first appeared in 2004 in The Lords of Misrule, published by John Hopkins University. Over time, this particular poetry transformed into a widely recognized example, symbolizing the poet’s heartfelt sentiments towards those affected by the devastating events of 9/11. Its popularity stems from the powerful contrast it draws between the idyllic nature of life and the tragic occurrence of the couple’s descent 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. The events of that fateful day unfolded in a devastating manner as two passenger aircrafts, within a short span of thirty minutes, struck both towers, ultimately causing their collapse and tragically claiming the lives of over 3,000 individuals who were trapped inside. 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. We must cherish and make the most of the limited time we have, for it passes quickly, like a rising and bursting bubble.
- 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. Unlike this, the poet and his beloved are delighting in their morning coffee after waking up to savor the fresh air and carefree life. However, the two scenes differ as one portrays love while the other depicts horrors, with a “share of time” in between like a bubble.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in September Twelfth, 2001
literary devices are strategies writers employ to effectively communicate their messages to readers. X. J. Kennedy 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 /aw/ in “Two caught on film who hurtle” and the sound of /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” and the sound of /s/ in “stretch, scratch, taste the air”.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /l/ “Two caught on film who hurtle”, the sound of /ch/ in “stretch, scratch, taste the air” and the sound of /t/ and /g/ in “we bubbles rising and bursting.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “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 used the metaphor by 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 shows 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.
