Poem of the Week: “John Brown and His Men, with Some Account of the Roads Traveled to Reach Harper’s Ferry” by Jared Carter

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the battle on April 12, 1861 at Fort Sumter, which began the Civil War. However, many historians believe the momentum toward the Civil War was initiated with the Harper’s Ferry raid led by abolitionist John Brown on October 16, 1859, when Brown and a band of about twenty charged the Harper’s Ferry Armory in Virginia, aiming to obtain arms from the arsenal that could be distributed to slaves for an uprising. Though initially successful in capturing the armory, two more days of battle with militia occurred, during which Brown’s plans failed. Brown’s men were defeated by troops commanded by Colonel Robert E. Lee and Lieutenant J.E.B. Stuart. Both would become better known as participants for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Brown, who had previously led a bloody massacre and was considered a “madman” by Lee, was tried for treason and hanged on December 2.

Therefore, the VPR Poem of the Week is “John Brown and His Men, with Some Account of the Roads Traveled to Reach Harper’s Ferry” by Jared Carter, which appeared in the Fall/Winter 2009-2010 issue (Volume XI: Number 1) of Valparaiso Poetry Review.

Jared Carter has published four books of poetry, most recently Cross this Bridge at a Walk. His previous volumes include Work, for the Night Is Coming, winner of the Walt Whitman Award. His work also has appeared in many literary journals, including Iowa Review, Kenyon Review, Poetry, and TriQuarterly.

Tuesday of each week One Poet’s Notes highlights an excellent work by a poet selected from the issues of Valparaiso Poetry Review, except when other posts with news or updates preempt the usual appearance of this item, with the recommendation that readers visit it.