The Poems of Wars

Ashleigh Seipel
Laura Cline
English 102-Online
11 February 2011
The Poems of Wars
The two poems I chose to write about is, “Photograph from September 11” by Wislawa Szymborska and “Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting” by Kevin C. Powers. My reasons for choosing the first poem, “Photograph from September 11” because the tragic catastrophic event that happened on the 11th day of September in 2001. The terrorist attack that very day affected millions across the world, even if they were not involved in the attack. I remember where I was that day, getting ready for school when I asked my mom what was happening on the television, as she proceeded to panic.
I reacted so strongly to the poem because even though I was not present for the attack, it still affected me as an American. “Photograph from September 11” is an astonishing poem that describes the flight of the falling man and the last moments of their lives.


The author stated:
“The photograph halted them in life,
And now keeps them
Above the earth toward the earth.”
This stanza is powerful because it freezing them within their last minutes of life, their “photograph”. Every line of the poem creates a scene of imagery and description to pay the respect of the victims.
The second poem is a touching poem about a solider at war. Even though the poem, “Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting” was only three stanzas, it gives a complete image of a soldiers’ perspective. Kevin C. Powers writes,
“I tell her in a letter that will stink,
When she opens it,
Of bolt oil and burned powder
And the things it says”.
I reacted to this line the most because it gives me an immediate image of a solider writing a letter after long days of battle, writing with anything he can find, just to be able to let his loved one let them know he’s alive. It’s a poem you have to read a few times to understand it’s full meaning, but once you get the idea, the meaning jumps out at you all at once.