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John Brown’s Body · Theme
National Identity
How John Brown’s Body develops National Identity.
The poem explores the multifaceted and contradictory nature of American identity, portraying it as a blend of diverse regions, peoples, and histories—from Puritan settlers and Southern gentry to slaves and frontiersmen—that defies simple definition.
Where it surfaces
- Invocation
The entire poem is a meditation on the multifaceted and elusive nature of American identity, celebrating its diversity and contradictions.
- Book III
The tension between Eastern and Western soldiers reflects regional divides within the Union army.