With this passage read the last two stanzas of _Mr. Hosea Biglow by James Russell Lowell

This short poem calls for peace after the American Civil War—yet it’s not a mournful or defeated peace. Lowell envisions peace arriving with dignity, recognizing that the sacrifices made were meaningful. It’s a celebration of a nation that fought fiercely and has earned its right to rest.

The tone is both triumphant and urgent. Lowell isn’t mourning; he’s taking charge. The exclamation points and the direct call to action ("Come, Peace!") create the vibe of a toast or a rallying cry. While there’s grief lurking beneath the surface—given that the Civil War claimed hundreds of thousands of lives—Lowell won’t allow grief to be the last word. The mood resembles a soldier standing proudly at a ceremony rather than a widow crying at a grave.

James Russell Lowell created the *Biglow Papers*, a collection of satirical dialect poems, during the Mexican-American War (1846–48) and later during the Civil War (1861–65). The character Hosea Biglow, a straightforward New England farmer, served as Lowell's voice to expose political hypocrisy. This excerpt comes from the end of the second series, penned as the Civil War was drawing to a close. As a passionate abolitionist and a prominent literary figure of his time, Lowell was heavily invested in the Union's efforts. By the time he wrote these lines, the nation had faced four years of devastating conflict. His call for a proud peace shows both relief that the war was concluding and a strong belief that the Union's victory — along with the end of slavery — is a significant moral achievement that should be celebrated instead of just mourned.