Reflection on Lowell’s “For the union Dead”
$3.95
4 word format
document in English
literature
presentation
published 28/04/2008
review : Completed
level : General public
requested 0 times
Summary
Robert Lowell opens his poem, For the Union Dead, with an image of destruction, despair, and the loss of something that represents his youth. This opening stanza sets the tone for the rest of the poem. For the Union Dead is ultimately more discouraging than inspiring. Its disheartening tone can be understood through the poem’s contradictory imagery, its violent imagery, and through the Lowell’s reading of the poem. Lowell became motivated to write For the Union Dead after witnessing the digging of the new parking garage under the historic Boston Common. Through the poem, Lowell addresses the issue of progress and the ramifications of progress. It is apparent that Lowell regards progress with a certain amount of contempt. He feels there is no way to halt the damage progress can do to the past.
Table of Contents
- Throughout the poem, there is a stream of opposing imagery that can be summarized as construction versus destruction.
- For the Union Dead was written in 1960, right at the start of the garage construction.
- Most of the war imagery surrounds the icon of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th regiment.
- One might argue that while these words are violent and invoke images of war, they do not necessarily carry depressing connotations.
- Aside from all of the war-specific violent imagery, Lowell uses violent words at other points during the poem that provide a constant stream of disquiet.
- Listening to this reading by Lowell truly emphasizes the depressing, discouraging tone of the poem.
Most downloaded documents over 30 days in literature Latest in the category literature From the same author
knowledge network
