HollyWaite

I totally agree about the appreciativeness. I also wrote my blog about that same topic dealing with the twin towers. I also said, it takes tragedies for people to notice the important things in life.

What, specifically, does it say when you note that the Empire State Building was built during the Depression? How does that differ from the poet's attitude towards the World Trade Center? I like the point that you make, but I'm not sure I see where you are going.

When he mentions the Empire State building he is still at the point of not liking the twin towers. But he does admire the Empire State Building by saying, that the twin towers "lacked the details the ornament the character" that the Empire state building has. So by seeing this buliding as a piece of art which supports my idea of us liking only what we think is worth liking, with some kind of history or credibility. After all we give more credit to art that is done by a "known" or credilble artist.

Because the Empire State Building was built during the Great Deppression then it is given credibility, the times themselves were hard and to produce a building with such "Character" would have been even harder.

In response to Melissa's comment after reading your blog when you said that "it reminds you of a funeral" I agree with this also that not only did the deceased person have to do something great but just because of the tragedy we look at them more closely.

What great insight.
If it isn't too trite to mention this cliche, remember that "You don't know what you've got till it's gone." This can be SO true on so many levels.

I'd like to add that not all "great" landmarks--even internationally--were thought of as "great" right away. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was greatly disliked at its unveiling at the World's Fair (Henry Adams attended this exhibition, if you recall). Parisians found it ugly, distracting from their calm skyline, and obtrusive to the classical nature most of the surrounding architecture provided.

Many similarities in response to the Eiffel Tower can be applied to other landmark buildings. Some love them, some hate them. We can't please everyone, but it is interesting to note that despite the fact that no one may lay claim to adoring the buildings while they stood, many weep at their destruction (for obvious reasons) and the visual reminder of an unpierced skyline in NYC brings forth many emotions.

There was more to the destruction of the Trade Centers than just loss of construction. The loss of innocent lives was also a huge factor that had to be counted in. Do we always necessarily appreciate people until it's a little too late? Maybe that's what Lehman was getting at.

Human life should always be valued over material things in life, but that's not always the way that we live. The poem expresses dislike of the building until the day of the bombing--I wonder what a revisiting to this poem would result in... Many, many more lives were lost in the second attack on the Towers. There are many messages that can be derived from this single poem, even though it doesn't have much symbolism or provide many allusions.

You should make a poem about it!