Poetry Response to "The Names"

 In the poem "The Names" by billy Collins the authors purpose in writing this poem is to tell you about all the lost lives . He says "let x stand, if it can, for the ones unfound". As for the lives not lost , he tells you about what they do in memory of all these people. I think the tone is depressed and mournful because he says "Heavy with dew like the eyes of tears, and each had a name....".