Equal Retribution

The most obvious theme in “Curse” is the justification of “an eye for an eye” punishment for those responsible for the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The curse that the speaker places upon the terrorists calls for equal retribution for their acts: “May what you have made descend upon you” and “May their breath now, in eternity, be your breath.” In these lines, the speaker’s wish is more figurative than literal, as he speaks in general terms of what has been “made” on this day and the eternal repercussions for the deeds committed. His curse is more precise, however, in lines 3 and 4, in which he calls for the same number of floors to collapse on the attackers as they caused to fall on the people in the World Trade Center.

The idea of...