I am not American, and so I take this poetic rendering of a wartime incident with more universal sympathy. While the arts are frequently used as propaganda, good art speaks beyond its historical particularities. To me this poem is about the lady of the title. The ideals that she embodies shine out over and above the actual conflict of the American Civil War, a fact demonstrated here by the words of Stonewall Jackson. The courage, patriotism, and mettle of Barbara Frietchie are traits that all Americans admire, both sides of the Mason-Dixie Line. To identify--and perhaps write a poem about--those things that can be agreed upon by disparate parties is excellent ground upon which to build unity in the midst of disunity.
My introduction to this poem was a parody done on the television program "Rocky And Bullwinkle", where the flag becomes a "union suit" and it is revealed that Mrs. Frietchie is actually a bit of a weapons nut ("I may be patriotic, but I'm not crazy").
Lee deserved his claim of nobility from the North. He surrendered, think he might well be hung. He surrendered rather than let his man degrade themselves into bands of brigands, roaming the hills, causing mischief, and perhaps death. He wanted them to be able to go home. They had performed well.
His actions held off the likes of the KKK while he lived, he would have none of it.
Go back to 1863 and slavery, while somewhat reduced, was still active worldwide. In 1750, with perhaps the exception of the Incas, there were very few places that slavery did not exist. It was the Industrial Revolution, more than anything else, that made the slave superfluous, and the expense no longer warranted. Granted Abolitionists pushed from a moral viewpoint, unfortunately, economics is a much stronger pull for most people.
Whittier knew what he was about. This is Parlor Poetry at its best. As usual, the commentary here is spot on. Exhaustion...yes. It leads to apathy and the acceptance of a new abnormal norm. So, one tries to think of Jackson and Lee as men other than what they were--traitors on the wrong side of history. But who is winning now? Aren't the toppled statues of Lee and Jackson rising again?
I am not American, and so I take this poetic rendering of a wartime incident with more universal sympathy. While the arts are frequently used as propaganda, good art speaks beyond its historical particularities. To me this poem is about the lady of the title. The ideals that she embodies shine out over and above the actual conflict of the American Civil War, a fact demonstrated here by the words of Stonewall Jackson. The courage, patriotism, and mettle of Barbara Frietchie are traits that all Americans admire, both sides of the Mason-Dixie Line. To identify--and perhaps write a poem about--those things that can be agreed upon by disparate parties is excellent ground upon which to build unity in the midst of disunity.
My introduction to this poem was a parody done on the television program "Rocky And Bullwinkle", where the flag becomes a "union suit" and it is revealed that Mrs. Frietchie is actually a bit of a weapons nut ("I may be patriotic, but I'm not crazy").
Lee deserved his claim of nobility from the North. He surrendered, think he might well be hung. He surrendered rather than let his man degrade themselves into bands of brigands, roaming the hills, causing mischief, and perhaps death. He wanted them to be able to go home. They had performed well.
His actions held off the likes of the KKK while he lived, he would have none of it.
Go back to 1863 and slavery, while somewhat reduced, was still active worldwide. In 1750, with perhaps the exception of the Incas, there were very few places that slavery did not exist. It was the Industrial Revolution, more than anything else, that made the slave superfluous, and the expense no longer warranted. Granted Abolitionists pushed from a moral viewpoint, unfortunately, economics is a much stronger pull for most people.
Whittier knew what he was about. This is Parlor Poetry at its best. As usual, the commentary here is spot on. Exhaustion...yes. It leads to apathy and the acceptance of a new abnormal norm. So, one tries to think of Jackson and Lee as men other than what they were--traitors on the wrong side of history. But who is winning now? Aren't the toppled statues of Lee and Jackson rising again?