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

Hosea Biglow is a fictional farmer from New England, created by Lowell to express straightforward, sensible views on politics. By using this rustic character, Lowell could share pointed and controversial opinions while also connecting with everyday readers who might ignore a Harvard professor speaking to them directly.

The American Civil War (1861–1865). During this conflict, Lowell wrote the second series of Biglow Papers, and this final passage was created as it became evident that the Union would prevail. The phrase "triumphs tasted" points to the North's military victories and, for Lowell, the moral victory of abolishing slavery.

He's rejecting the notion that peace after war has to be a sad or shameful affair — the type of peace that follows a pointless or dishonorable battle. Lowell believed the Union fought for a just cause, so the resulting peace should honor that. Mourning would suggest that the deaths were meaningless, and he outright rejects that interpretation.

It refers to victories that are truly felt, not merely envisioned. The word "tasted" evokes a sense of sensory experience — it makes success feel deserved and authentic. Peace comes from having witnessed and participated in those challenging moments, rather than being an outsider.

Both. It has a patriotic feel as it honors the nation's strength and pride. It's also political since Lowell, an abolitionist, viewed the Civil War as a moral battle rather than merely a military conflict. The pride he advocates is linked to the conviction that the just side prevailed.

This literary device is known as apostrophe — addressing an abstract idea or an absent figure as if it were listening. It gives the poem a sense of immediacy and emotion, resembling a speech or a prayer, rather than simply observing history from a distance.

The stanza follows an ABAB rhyme scheme: bowed / proud / wasted / tasted. These crisp rhymes create a hymn-like or anthem-like feel, perfectly matching the celebratory and ceremonial mood that Lowell aims to convey.