For the Union Dead Summary by Robert Lowell
“For the Union Dead” is a poem by American poet Robert Lowell, first published in 1964. The poem explores themes of history, memory, and the impact of the Civil War on American society. It is known for its complex structure, vivid imagery, and rich symbolism.
For the Union Dead Summary
The poem begins with a description of the speaker’s memories of playing in the Boston Common as a child. The speaker recalls the joy of playing in the Public Garden, surrounded by statues commemorating heroes of the Civil War. The mention of the Public Garden introduces the central image of the poem—the Civil War memorial and its impact on the speaker’s perception of history and society.
After that, the speaker of the poem moves to the Boston Common in the present, where she sees work on a parking structure being done. This modern environment highlights the shifts in civilization since the Civil War by standing in stark contrast to the historical and commemorative past. The Civil War memorial’s historical and symbolic significance has been replaced by the construction of the parking garage, which represents the modernization and commercialization of the environment.
The poem introduces Colonel Shaw, the leader of the first all-black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, during the Civil War. The regiment is memorialized in the form of a bronze relief on the back of the monument. Colonel Shaw and his regiment are portrayed as heroic figures who fought for a cause greater than themselves, challenging the racial prejudices of their time.
The poem then delves into a detailed description of the monument, focusing on the bronze relief of Colonel Shaw and his regiment. Lowell’s vivid imagery captures the tension and drama of the moment, emphasizing the sacrifices made by the soldiers. The bronze relief becomes a powerful symbol of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality, even in the face of societal changes and challenges.
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As the poem progresses, Lowell reflects on the decay and neglect of the monument. The once pristine and revered memorial is now overshadowed by the construction of the parking garage. This decay serves as a metaphor for the erosion of historical memory and the diminishing significance of the Civil War in contemporary society. The poet laments the loss of a collective sense of history and the values for which the soldiers fought.
Next, Lowell presents the idea of the “old South Boston Aquarium,” a long-gone establishment that represents the demise of artistic and intellectual endeavors. The aquarium, which was formerly a source of amazement and knowledge, has been forgotten and abandoned. The idea of deterioration and the loss of a significant link to the past is furthered by this picture.
The poem concludes with a reflection on the speaker’s personal and cultural identity. The speaker acknowledges the disconnection from the past and the challenges of navigating a changing and fragmented society. The final lines of the poem convey a sense of isolation and alienation, suggesting that the memory of the Civil War and its ideals has been overshadowed by the relentless march of progress and commercialization.
For the Union Dead Summary Poem
The old South Boston Aquarium stands
in a Sahara of snow now. Its broken windows are boarded.
The bronze weathervane cod has lost half its scales.
The airy tanks are dry.
Once my nose crawled like a snail on the glass;
my hand tingled
to burst the bubbles
drifting from the noses of the cowed, compliant fish.
My hand draws back. I often sigh still
for the dark downward and vegetating kingdom
of the fish and reptile. One morning last March,
I pressed against the new barbed and galvanized
fence on the Boston Common. Behind their cage,
yellow dinosaur steamshovels were grunting
as they cropped up tons of mush and grass
to gouge their underworld garage.
Parking spaces luxuriate like civic
sandpiles in the heart of Boston.
A girdle of orange, Puritan-pumpkin colored girders
braces the tingling Statehouse,
shaking over the excavations, as it faces Colonel Shaw
and his bell-cheeked Negro infantry
on St. Gaudens’ shaking Civil War relief,
propped by a plank splint against the garage’s earthquake.
Two months after marching through Boston,
half the regiment was dead;
at the dedication,
William James could almost hear the bronze Negroes breathe.
Their monument sticks like a fishbone
in the city’s throat.
Its Colonel is as lean
as a compass-needle.
He has an angry wrenlike vigilance,
a greyhound’s gentle tautness;
he seems to wince at pleasure,
and suffocate for privacy.
He is out of bounds now. He rejoices in man’s lovely,
peculiar power to choose life and die—
when he leads his black soldiers to death,
he cannot bend his back.
On a thousand small town New England greens,
the old white churches hold their air
of sparse, sincere rebellion; frayed flags
quilt the graveyards of the Grand Army of the Republic.
The stone statues of the abstract Union Soldier
grow slimmer and younger each year—
wasp-waisted, they doze over muskets
and muse through their sideburns . . .
Shaw’s father wanted no monument
except the ditch,
where his son’s body was thrown
and lost with his “niggers.”
The ditch is nearer.
There are no statues for the last war here;
on Boylston Street, a commercial photograph
shows Hiroshima boiling
over a Mosler Safe, the “Rock of Ages”
that survived the blast. Space is nearer.
When I crouch to my television set,
the drained faces of Negro school-children rise like balloons.
Colonel Shaw
is riding on his bubble,
he waits
for the blessèd break.
The Aquarium is gone. Everywhere,
giant finned cars nose forward like fish;
a savage servility
slides by on grease.
Conclusion
“For the Union Dead” by Robert Lowell is a poignant exploration of the intersections between personal and collective memory, history, and societal change. Through vivid imagery and symbolic language, Lowell delves into the decay of a Civil War memorial in the face of modernization, reflecting on the erosion of historical consciousness in contemporary society. The poem resonates with themes of sacrifice, heroism, and the ongoing struggle for justice and equality. Lowell’s portrayal of the monument, Colonel Shaw, and the changing landscape serves as a powerful commentary on the challenges of preserving the ideals for which the soldiers fought.
A sense of loss and detachment from the ideals of the past is evoked by the juxtaposition of the past and present, the monument’s deterioration, and the vision of the closed aquarium. The poem invites readers to consider the price of development, the effects of commercialization, and the significance of remembering and paying tribute to those who gave their lives in defense of a cause bigger than themselves.
FAQ:
Who is Colonel Shaw?
Colonel Shaw is the leader of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first all-black regiment in the Civil War. The poem portrays him as a heroic figure, leading his regiment with courage and conviction.
What does the Civil War memorial symbolize in the poem?
The Civil War memorial, particularly the bronze relief of Colonel Shaw and his regiment, symbolizes the sacrifices and ideals of those who fought in the Civil War. It becomes a focal point for reflecting on the erosion of historical memory and the changing values of society.
What is the significance of the construction of the parking garage?
The construction of the parking garage represents modernization and commercialization, highlighting the contrast between the historical past and the contemporary landscape. It serves as a metaphor for the diminishing significance of the Civil War and the erosion of historical consciousness.
How does the poem address the theme of decay?
The decay is evident in the neglect of the Civil War monument and the defunct South Boston Aquarium. These images serve as metaphors for the erosion of cultural and historical values, emphasizing the loss of a meaningful connection to the past.
What is the role of the old South Boston Aquarium in the poem?
The old South Boston Aquarium serves as a metaphor for the decline of cultural and intellectual pursuits. Its abandonment reflects the poet’s concerns about the loss of wonder and education in the face of societal changes.
What is the overall message of “For the Union Dead”?
The poem addresses the challenges of preserving historical memory in the face of modernization and commercialization. It calls attention to the cost of forgetting the lessons of history and emphasizes the importance of honoring the sacrifices made by those who fought for justice and equality during the Civil War.
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