1a. In the first stanza of this song, what is the Lord described as doing?
2a. What words does the speaker use to describe the gospel? What does the speaker encourage the hero to do to the serpent? What is the Lord doing to the hearts of men?
3a. In the last stanza, what does the speaker say about Jesus' birth and his effect on others? What does the speaker encourage listeners to do and for what cause?
4a. Analyze the speaker's depiction of God in this song. According to the speaker, is God impartial in matters of war? If so, explain in what way this impartiality is revealed. If not, whose side is God on, according to the speaker, and how can you tell?
5a. Explain what attitude you believe Confederate soldiers might have adopted toward this song. What might they have thought about the speaker's portrayal of the Lord's relationship with Union troops? As an alternative to this question, explore what your attitude would be toward this song if you were a pacifist. What might you refute?
1b. How would you characterize the way the Lord is depicted in this stanza? How might the Lord's action in the vineyard appear?
2b. What might the serpent represent? Explain what you think the speaker believes will happen to the enemies of the Republic.
3b. How does the image of Jesus in the last stanza contrast with the image of the Lord in the first stanza? What effect does this depiction have on what the speaker is asking others to do?
4b. Explain whether you would classify Julia Ward Howe as impartial in her depiction of the opposing forces involved in the Civil War. Explain what you think Howe's priorities were in writing this poem. In what way did the time when she wrote the song affect her depiction of the Civil War?
5b. Imagine what it would be like to be in a war where American fought American, and, as sometimes was the case, brother fought brother. What conflicting feelings might soldiers have experienced? Why might religious hymns, such as Howe's, have been used to ready soldiers for battle?
Hymn. Review the definition for hymn in the Handbook of Literary Terms. What religious images and themes does Howe use in "The Battle Hymn of the Republic"?
Allusion. Review the definition for allusion in the Handbook of Literary Terms. You may have noticed as you read "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" that it alludes to both the Old and the New Testaments in the Bible. Identify the lines in which Howe alludes to the following biblical passages:
a. "The wine of God's wrath, poured unmixed into the cup of his anger." (Revelation 14:10)
b. "The Lord God said to the serpent . . . I will put enmity between you and the woman . . . he will strike your head." (Genesis 3:14-15)
Why do you think Howe makes biblical allusions in her lyrics?
1. Imagine that you are a Civil War soldier who has just heard "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." Write a brief letter to Julia Ward Howe expressing your feelings about her song. You might also tell her a little bit about your experiences in the war.
2. Howe wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to the tune of another popular Civil War song that includes the line, "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave." Write lyrics to a tune you know well, making sure to select a topic that is different from the original song lyrics. Imagine that your song will be heard on a radio "Top 40" program.
3. Write a review of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," imagining you are a newspaper columnist and that your readers are either pro-Union or pro-Confederate.
Archaic Language. As you read, compile a list of archaic words and the modern equivalents of these terms. An example has been done for you.
Archaic Word or Phrase Mine eyes
Modern Word or Phrase My eyes
8a. Archaic Word or Phrase
Using Searching Tools. Read the Language Arts Survey 5.19, "How to Locate Library Materials." Then, working with a partner, use the library's computerized catalog to locate another Civil War song. Prepare an oral interpretation of the song, writing an introduction and any needed transitions between verses. Use the Research Log on the following page to document your research.
Researching Civil War Songs:
Sources Used:
