For the Union Dead Themes

"For the Union Dead," largely about the all-black 54th infantry of the Civil War, takes place about one hundred years after slavery. This ain't no history poem, though. The subject of slavery isn't...

There is so much change in "For the Union Dead," and a good deal of frustration with a lack of change, too. In both cases, it seems that the transformation (or the lack thereof) is a negative thing...

This is another mixed-bag theme. On the one hand, in "For the Union Dead," Lowell commends the soldiers and Colonel Shaw for their great sacrifice in the Civil War. They fought extremely hard and g...

The 54th regiment was definitely the little engine that could. They kept on trucking even after losing so many men. They fought with strength and courage despite all of the criticism, non-believers...