Whitman's Presence in 9/11

Hum
by Ann Lauterbach This poem uses a tactic of remembrance of better days. It looks to the future to remind us that the mourning will not last forever and that we will move on to beautiful days. "The days are beautiful./The towers are yesterday." This reminds me of the symbolic song in Whitman's poem being the ever present reminder of death, but by the end, as a whole, we are able to move on.

As that powerful psalm in the night I heard from recesses,

Passing, I leave thee lilac with heart-shaped leaves,

I leave thee there in the door-yard, blooming, returning with          spring.

I cease from my song for thee,

Lauterbach's poem differ from Whitman's in that it doesn't take time to settle in the death. In the first line, it is already addressing a time where death is not present. Whitman, even though he moves on, still addresses that death will always be there. He's just leaving it for now. This makes me see that Whitman uses a more realist approach in his poetry than any other.


if bin laden read dr. seussby markk


This poem uses a tactic of common hate. He takes the confusion held by America as a whole and uses it to address a bin laden, making a common symbol of hatred that can bring everyone together. This also reminds me of Whitman's symbolic song. Both poets are using an object or symbol to identify the common emotions threaded through the people experiencing the tragedy. Also, even though markk uses hate and confusion for his tactic and Whitman uses love and memory, markk takes a "Whitman-esc" approach to ending his poem, wishing well for bin laden. 

tonight you will dream of lambs& flutes & calm nectars fromfruited vines, because i will it so& that white light you see is myshadow. open yer heart man, havesome green eggs, i know you don'teat ham, & i'd like you to meetmy friend sam, yes, sam i am

Photograph from September 11

BY WISŁAWA SZYMBORSKA


This poem takes an entirely different approach to national grieving by exploring the moments right before death through the eyes of a few individuals. In fact, the poem never even reaches death 

They’re still within the air’s reach,within the compass of places
that have just now opened.

Although, I believe this has a similar end result to what Whitman does in his poem for it is making the reader experience what brought on this death, triggering a grieving process. For me, Whitman's entire poem is about the grieving process. This makes me see that Whitman, in his poem, is trying to ease the reader into death, which makes me feel that his poem can work for 'similar historical ruptures and disasters."