A Nameless Grave

A Nameless Grave

'A soldier of the Union mustered out,'
Is the inscription on an unknown grave
At Newport News, beside the salt-sea wave,
Nameless and dateless; sentinel or scout
Shot down in skirmish, or disastrous rout
Of battle, when the loud artillery drave
Its iron wedges through the ranks of brave
And doomed battalions, storming the redoubt.
Thou unknown hero sleeping by the sea
In thy forgotten grave! with secret shame
I feel my pulses beat, my forehead burn,
When I remember thou hast given for me
All that thou hadst, thy life, thy very name,
And I can give thee nothing in return. 

REVIEW

As clearly seen this poetry focuses a lot on diction.The words used in the poem are prim ,precise and very honest and help bring out the meaing of the poetry very well .According to me this is one of longfellows best poems because in a few lines he is able to convey an exemplary message.

The first few lines of the poem read:

A soldier of the Union mustered out,

Is the inscription on an unknown grave

At Newport News, beside the salt-sea wave,

This was the ideal way to begin the poem. It introduces the subject and orients the reader. This phrase “Mustered out” usually means a soldier has been discharged. Using this inscription on the grave shows what little is actually known about the soldier. Longfellow also sets the scene by adding a description of the gravesite. Newport News is a place in Virginia that is located near the ocean. Using an actual location makes the poem more real.

In the next part longfellow lists out possibilities as to how the soldiers life may have ended.

Nameless and dateless; sentinel or scout

Shot down in skirmish, or disastrous rout

Of battle, when the loud artillery drave

Its iron wedges through the ranks of brave

And doomed battalions, storming the redoubt.

Longfellow used examples of battle action like “skirmish” and “disastrous rout.” Again the reader sees the unique language Longfellow was known for. The next few lines are very graphic, but realistic. “Iron wedges through the ranks of the brave” has an impact on the reader. This describes the brutality that took place during war.This shows longfellows speciality ,in just a few lines he is able to stir up mixed feelings in the reader which shows us his prowess as a poet. Excellent use of words which bring out the flow in the poem not only making it sound blissful but also has a deep meaning to it.

 In the next lines, Longfellow focuses more on this individual who was lost.

Thou unknown hero sleeping by the sea

In thy forgotten grave! with secret shame

I feel my pulses beat, my forehead burn,

When I remember thou hast given for me

To say this man is sleeping brings an unexpected sense of peace to the poem. Although his death was tragic, his is at peace now lying by the ocean. The tone changes in the next line as Longfellow expresses sympathy and guilt. Many soldiers do experience shame for their actions in war and this soldier was buried with those feelings. Longfellow also gets a little bit personal as he talks about how a citizen might feel looking at the grave. Using phrases like “pulses beat” is more effective that saying he feels sad, angry, sympathetic or guilty. The poem ends on a sad note as Longfellow wrote,

All that thou hadst, thy life, thy very name

And I can give thee nothing in return.

This soldier gave his life, his most valuable possession, to his country. Now he is forgotten and never received the glory or honor he deserved. There is nothing that can be done because this soldier has no name or identity. This was a great way to end because it encompassed the entire meaning of the poem.