The subject of the poem The Names by Billy Collins is one of remembrance

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.

Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this poem, and I liked it very

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

important to me and to other Americans as well because our adversaries abrupt

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

exhibits an adequate reminder of an event that scarred our country forever.

Additionally, this poem helps keep those we lost in our hearts by inscribing their

names on the walls of our hearts.

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>.