Covering Up History

Robert Lowell's poem, For the Union Dead, would lead one to believe that this poem is a dedication to all the men who lost their lives fighting to save the union and end slavery during the Civil War. But, Lowell specifically writes about the black soldiers who were the first African American regiment organized in a free state who died defending the country and freedom and whose monument is now being turned into a parking garage. Lowell speaks with discontent as he describes what he is observing and tells the story of the men who died alongside their commander, who are not getting the respect they deserve. His dissatisfaction is expressed we he shares how a photograph of Hiroshima and how the "Rock of Ages" is in town and not being covered up, but the history of great African American is alongside a declining black population (54-60. Lowell complains of something that is all too common in history, black people who are the missing elements who helped shape this nation.