Giuseppe Conte, Il fuoco che produce luce e fumo, 2001.

Ricordiamoci dell’11 settembre

Ricordiamoci dell’11 settembre                                               1

il fuoco fulmineo alle Torri Gemelle

la nebulosa orrenda di carburante e carne,

di sangue e di materia cerebrale

come si è fatta subito fumo grigio, mortale,                            5

che si espandeva e cancellava,

fumo d’odio e di buio, apoteosi

della polvere, della calce che ricoprivano

volti d’uomini, vie, automobili

come se avessero preso dominio gli Inferi. [...]                     10

Ricordiamoci l’11 settembre

preghiamo ognuno con le nostre preghiere

qualunque nome abbia il nostro Dio –

che non sia mai un Dio assassino

che ci sorrida bambino.                                                          15

Analysis:

The title of the poem is an invite to remember the World Trade Center attack, which occurred on 11^th September 2001. In particular, the pronoun “ci” suggests it is addressed to everyone without any (cultural) differences. The reason behind the invite may be found in the text, but the reader can already make an hypotheses: indeed, some important historical events are remembered in order not to make the same mistake twice.

As for the layout, the text is a poem made of a single stanza. However, it can be divided into two sequences: the first line is repeated at line 11 – the function of the anaphor may be to divide the text into smaller parts, which will develop different themes.

The first sequence goes from line 1 to 10. The poem is opened by the repetition of the title and by the narrator’s invitation to remember what he’s going to say next.

In the following lines, the narrator draws the reader’s attention on the moment of the attack: the run-on-line between the first two lines and the alliteration of the letter “f” highlight the expression “fuoco fulmineo”, which summarizes the first impression one has after watching the attack. There is another run-on-line between lines 2 and 3, which highlights the expression “nebulosa orrenda di carburante e carne”: the reader’s attention is immediately drawn on the concrete consequences of the impact – a huge fire and victims. In particular, lines 3 and 4 could be the point in which the poet insists the most on the horror of the attack: he mentions fuel, flesh, blood and brains and they seem to be mixed together. Here, the language is very concrete, the repetition of the consonant “r” and of dental sounds convey the reader the horror and the physical pain of the people involved in the attack. The first sequence is made of a single sentence: it consists of a list that creates an ascending climax.

The lines from 5 to 9 focuses on smoke and ashes: smoke is a metaphor for death, as suggested by the verb “cancellava”. At line 7, the reader’s attention is now drawn on the psychological side: smoke is full of hatred. However, the narrator does not say whose it is: it could be of the people who caused the Twin Towers to fall.

Line 10 provides the reader a synthesis of the previous lines: here, the narrator compares the scenario of the attack to Hell. The comparison is a value judgment: the narrator connotes the attack as the worst thing it could have happened in the world – the attack destroyed thousands of lives and shook those of others, there’s no way things can be restored.

The second sequence (lines 11 – 15) is once again opened by the narrator’s invite to remember the attack. However, here the narrator provides the reader what people can do in front of similar situations: just pray. The human being is defenceless and weak, and he can’t do nothing but hope that things like that won’t happen. Being helpless, the human being puts his faith in God. At line 13, the narrator is more specific and says that it doesn’t matter what’s the name of the God we put our faith in: it is a clear sign that the narrator is now addressing every human being in the world – people are united and there’s no distinction of culture when it comes to dying. However, God has two sides as the narrator says at lines 14 and 15: here, God is connoted as an “assassin”, and therefore is merciless and a liar.

It is interesting to point out the contrast between the first and the second sequence: the first mentions Hell when describing the scenario, the second one shows God as a light of hope. However, the comparison God-assassin makes God closer to Hell, maybe even worse.

As regards the message of the poem, in my opinion the poet wants the reader to reflect on both life and death. The poet’s purpose may be also to make the reader reflect on war and peace, and to make him understand that there is no point in violence, homicides, attacks, or such things.