I found it interesting the amount of religious references present in the poetry that we have been reading. In “The Portent” lines 5-7 “The cut is on the crown/ (lo, John Brown)/And the stabs shall heal no more”. “The Victor if Antietam” Line 8 “Each Cause and Man, dear to the stars and Jove” and the third to last line “The one-armed lift the wine to you”; that one may be a stretch. But I felt that it could be a reference to McClellan being the country’s/soldiers’ savior because at the last supper the disciples raised their wine to Christ. In “The Fall of Richmond. The tidings received in the Northern Metropolis” lines 5-6: “A city in flags for a city in Flames, Richmond goes Babylon’s way-“ and in “It feels a shame to be Alive-” “I think the Man who die ’Those unsustained –saviors-Present Divinity-“ to name a few.
I felt that all of these references where important because they show how much religion was a part of their everyday lives as well as the lives of others. And that through religious references the authors are able to portray their points more effectively to the audience of that time period. I also felt that the use of these references added drama to the pieces. In “It feels a shame to be Alive-“ by comparing the soldiers to saviors they are given more recognition, they are greater than Heroes in Dickinson’s eyes, instead she considers them Christ-like; giving their lives for their love of their country and mankind. In “The Portent” lines 5-7: “the cut is on the crown (Lo, John Brown), And the stabs shall heal no more” helps to better identify Melville’s position on John Brown. Finally in “The Fall of Richmond. The tidings received in the Northern Metropolis” Melville states “Richmond goes Babylon’s way”, I found that extremely significant because in the Bible Babylon (is referred to as the city of Babel) tells the tale of a city that is very powerful that eventually meets its end as does Richmond.
I think that its ironic that religion is a part of these poems. If you believe in an interactive God, as Christians and thus Dickinson and Melville most likely do, then why isn't he doing anything about the bloodshed? I agree that comparing John Brown to Christ helps the reader to empathize with him, however that raises the question of why didn't a divine power intervene to help John Brown in his endeavors, since he is so good as to be seen in the same light as Christ.
ReplyDeleteIf Dickinson's poems were read to be against the war, then I would think there would be more talk of demonic forces or a realization that there is no higher power, at least one that can control these kinds of morbid events.