Poet Describes N.Y. Scene
Having watched Tuesday's tragedy unfold, Tom Paulin looked for a way to mourn
The Daily Pennsylvanian
September 14, 2001
Visibly shaken by witnessing Tuesday's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, acclaimed Irish poet Tom Paulin had a stark image with which to compare the strikes.
"Standing there watching the towers burn was like watching a public execution," Paulin said.
Paulin had spent the past week in New York, where he was witness to the tragic events that unfolded there.
Paulin, who spoke at the Kelly Writers House last night, is famous for his political poetry and his exploration of the relationship between poetry and the nation-state.
The "terrible events have scattered the notion of what I'm going to read and talk about," he said.
"Within the light of recent events, I was all the more eager to come," said fourth-year German graduate student Samuel Willcocks.
Paulin began his talk by reading a famous Irish poem about mourning.
"It is a way of commemorating the dead," Paulin said. "It's also a poem about the guilt of writing about atrocities."
Paulin talked about the dilemma many writers face when discussing these political issues, saying that there is a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" kind of sentiment.
"You want, as a writer, to get beyond the tribe," he said, but noted that out of "piety" one also feels a need to support "the tribe," which he used to refer to one's people.
He discussed the necessity of writing about atrocities and political issues, and many in the audience agreed.
"You're seen as being unpatriotic or insensitive" in writing about national tragedy, Philadelphia resident Patricia Abner said. "The poetry is sort of a commentary on the events. It's a necessary tool for society."
However, Paulin was against writing anything about the attacks yet, saying that "it's too close."
English doctoral student Damien Keane, who introduced Paulin, commented on "the demand for retribution."
"I'm afraid that the litany of death-dealing will go on," he said. "One might ask who's the drunk and who's the cop."
Fourth-year English graduate student Clare Costley felt the talk to be both interesting and pertinent.
"I felt like when he was reading [his poetry] he came alive," she said. "I think it's relevant in terms of dealing with grief."
College senior Rachel Suntheimer agreed.
"I thought he was excellent," she said. "I found myself feeling a lot happier."