Encapsulating Shiloh – A Requiem

Shiloh – A Requiem by Herman Melville, is a powerful poem that serves as an excellent example of the 19th Century. Melville, more known for his novels than his poetry, wrote a series of poems in which he shared his views about the Civil War. The poem is a reminder of what happened, and reminder that that are more than just two sides in a conflict. War is a tragedy that should always be a last resort, if at all. The Civil War is arguably the most defining event in American history. It certainly is in terms of defining what kind of country would exist after the war was over. If the South had won, the country would have been split into a collection of sovereign states, nothing like the indivisible nation Lincoln wanted to maintain. The United States just before the Civil War was a bomb waiting to happen. The North and South were split many topics, but the primary hot button issue was slavery. The war would end that discussion once and for all. The war lasted four years and was by far the bloodiest event in American history. More soldiers died in the Civil War all the wars America has fought in since, combined! Shiloh – A Requiem illustrates the loss and just unimaginable tragedy that was the Civil War, particularly in the Battle of Shiloh. The poem echoes the sentiment of the war, especially afterwards, when many believed the war could have been avoided, and the body count was a needless horror.
“Over the field where April rain,
Solaced the parched ones stretched in pain”
This is a powerful piece of imagery. One can imagine the rain pouring down on the dead and the dying, the latter of which are desperate for food and water. War is cruel in many ways, and one of them is asking soldiers to die for their country, without proper supplies. The Battle at Shiloh was one of the bloodiest battles in American history. Nearly 23,000 soldiers died, Confederate and Union, over a two day period.
“Foemen at morn, but friends at eve
Fame or country least their care”
This pair of lines illustrates the sad fact of war. Death makes bedfellows of both sides. It chooses no sides. Enemies at the start of the battle find themselves on the same side of the afterlife, regardless of their personal feelings. In death, the reasons for war are made irrelevant and impotent. It’s not just the dead that are affected. Whether the soldiers were fighting for country, or for glory, none of that means anything to the soldier whose life is ebbing out on to the field.
The Battle of Shiloh