"Martyr" A Poem About Abraham Lincoln

With July 4th coming up and all the racial tensions happening across America I began to revisit American History and this "Martyr" poem came upon me. This poem is about Abraham Lincoln Assassination. This poem captures the Yankees' feelings about the anger they felt towards the Southerners (rebels) and its sympathizers after they heard that the president of United States have been shot. Many Northerners felt that Abraham Lincolns terms of South's surrender were too kind thus the word "kindness" in the poem. Some Southerners were at unease of Abraham Lincoln's assassination fearing that there was going to be a much more vicious retribution from the Union thus the term "bare the iron hand". 

The Martyr

BY HERMAN MELVILLE

Indicative of the passion of the people
on the 15th of April, 1865

Good Friday was the day

    Of the prodigy and crime,

When they killed him in his pity,

    When they killed him in his prime

Of clemency and calm—

         When with yearning he was filled

         To redeem the evil-willed,

And, though conqueror, be kind;

    But they killed him in his kindness,

    In their madness and their blindness,

And they killed him from behind.

 

              There is sobbing of the strong,

                   And a pall upon the land;

              But the People in their weeping

                                    Bare the iron hand:

              Beware the People weeping

                   When they bare the iron hand.

 

He lieth in his blood—

    The father in his face;

They have killed him, the Forgiver—

    The Avenger takes his place,

The Avenger wisely stern,

         Who in righteousness shall do

         What heavens call him to,

And the parricides remand;

    For they killed him in his kindness,

    In their madness and their blindness.

And his blood is on their hand.

 

                    There is sobbing of the strong,

                        And a pall upon the land;

                    But the People in their weeping

                                    Bare the iron hand:

                    Beware the People weeping

                        When they bare the iron hand.