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The Annotated Edition

Baael's stone obscene: Human sacrifices were offered on the by James Russell Lowell

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

This passage comes from Lowell's "Ode Recited at the Harvard Commemoration" (1865), particularly the section dedicated to Abraham Lincoln that Lowell included after delivering the poem.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
The PoemFull text

Baael's stone obscene: Human sacrifices were offered on the

James Russell Lowell

altars of Baael. (_Jeremiah_ xix, 5.) 147-205. This strophe was not in the ode as delivered, but was written immediately after the occasion, and included in the published poem. "It is so completely imbedded in the structure of the ode," says Scudder, "that it is difficult to think of it as an afterthought. It is easy to perceive that while the glow of composition and of recitation was still upon him, Lowell suddenly conceived this splendid illustration, and indeed climax of the utterance, of the Ideal which is so impressive in the fifth stanza.... Into these threescore lines Lowell has poured a conception of Lincoln, which may justly be said to be to-day the accepted idea which Americans hold of their great President. It was the final expression of the judgment which had slowly been forming in Lowell's own mind." In a letter to Richard Watson Gilder, Lowell says: "The passage about Lincoln was not in the ode as originally recited, but added immediately after. More than eighteen months before, however, I had written about Lincoln in the _North American Review_--an article that pleased him. I _did_ divine him earlier than most men of the Brahmin caste." It is a singular fact that the other great New England poets, Longfellow, Whittier, and Holmes, had almost nothing to say about Lincoln.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This passage comes from Lowell's "Ode Recited at the Harvard Commemoration" (1865), particularly the section dedicated to Abraham Lincoln that Lowell included after delivering the poem. In this part, Lowell reflects on his journey to genuinely appreciate Lincoln — a figure he previously underestimated — and paints a picture of Lincoln as a true American hero, influenced more by the frontier than by privilege. It remains one of the most acclaimed poetic tributes to Lincoln ever created.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. altars of Baael. (_Jeremiah_ xix, 5.)

    Editor's note

    The epigraph ties the entire stanza to the Old Testament. Baal was a Canaanite god that required child sacrifice — Lowell connects those ancient altars directly to the battlefields of the Civil War. The Union's young men, much like the children offered to Baal, were drawn into a cause they didn’t select. This creates a tone of solemn, nearly biblical reflection even before the first line of the poem is read.

  2. 147-205. This strophe was not in the ode as delivered...

    Editor's note

    The editorial note reveals an important insight into the nature of great writing: Lowell recited the ode during Harvard's 1865 commemoration for its Civil War dead, and it was only *afterward*—still charged from the moment—that he penned this Lincoln passage. His editor, Scudder, refers to it as a 'climax,' and it’s tough to argue with that assessment. The strophe feels like a natural part of the ode rather than an afterthought, which is precisely what Scudder means when he states it is 'completely imbedded in the structure of the ode.'

  3. In a letter to Richard Watson Gilder, Lowell says...

    Editor's note

    Lowell is standing up for himself here, doing so with a gentle but firm touch. He wants to make it clear that he appreciated Lincoln before it became trendy among his peers — the 'Brahmin caste,' referring to Boston's educated elite, who often regarded Lincoln as a coarse westerner. The letter shows that Lowell's admiration was earned through personal reflection, not merely a patriotic instinct. This honesty adds depth to his portrayal of Lincoln: it’s a man writing about someone he learned to understand more clearly over time.

  4. It is a singular fact that the other great New England poets...

    Editor's note

    This closing editorial observation hits hard. Longfellow, Whittier, and Holmes — three titans of American poetry — hardly mentioned the president who shaped their time. But Lowell did, and he did it in a memorable way. The note isn't boastful; it just presents the fact, making it even more impactful. It implies that Lowell's ability to bridge class divides in his imagination distinguished him from his contemporaries.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The tone is solemn and ceremonial, reminiscent of a heartfelt eulogy. Beneath the surface, there’s a sense of grief — this poem commemorates those lost in war — but it also conveys a feeling of vindication. Lowell had faith in Lincoln when many around him did not, and this tone reflects that quiet pride without crossing into arrogance. The biblical epigraph lends a prophetic weight to the piece, suggesting that Lowell is not merely recalling Lincoln but also bearing witness to his legacy.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Baal's altar
The altar of Baal, known for the child sacrifices in the Old Testament, represents the battlefields of the Civil War — sites where the young lost their lives to overwhelming and age-old forces. It portrays the war not as a glorious endeavor but as a grim, ancient sacrifice.
The Brahmin caste
Lowell's term refers to Boston's educated upper class. It symbolizes cultural blindness — those who should have been the first to recognize Lincoln's greatness were, due to their privilege, the last to acknowledge it.
Lincoln himself
Lincoln in this strophe isn’t just a historical figure; he embodies a uniquely American greatness: self-made, unrefined, and more authentically reflective of the nation than any aristocrat could ever be.
The ode's occasion
Harvard's Commemoration ceremony symbolizes the transition from private sorrow to public remembrance — a moment when we formally acknowledge the deceased's place in history. The addition of the Lincoln passage by Lowell after the ceremony implies that the event inspired feelings that the original speech couldn't fully capture.

§06Historical context

Historical context

James Russell Lowell delivered his "Ode Recited at the Harvard Commemoration" on July 21, 1865, only months after the Civil War ended and Lincoln's assassination. Harvard was paying tribute to its own fallen—students and alumni who died in the conflict. Lowell had lost nephews in the fighting as well. The Lincoln strophe (lines 147–205) was written right after the recitation and later added to the published version. By this time, Lincoln had transformed in the eyes of New England intellectuals from a dismissed backwoods politician to a mourned martyr. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Lowell had recognized Lincoln's worth earlier, as he pointed out in his letter to Gilder. The poem blends elements of elegy, civic oration, and prophecy—a style the Victorians referred to as the "public ode"—with the Lincoln passage becoming the most quoted and memorable part.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

It originates from Lowell's 'Ode Recited at the Harvard Commemoration,' composed in 1865 to pay tribute to Harvard men who lost their lives in the Civil War. The Lincoln strophe (lines 147–205) was included in the published version immediately following the poem's initial reading at the ceremony.

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