The item that I noted was an undated document, which I found in General Correspondence, Undated: A. I can’t make out what the document says in its entirety, but I think the purpose of the letter was to send a poem for the Lincoln Monument inauguration. The letter is undated, but because Douglass wrote it as an “offering for the Lincoln Monument inauguration,” I’m guessing that it could have been written around that time.
I think the document shows the ‘poetic’ side of Frederick Douglass. Of course, we already know that he’s an eloquent man. His Narrative—in fact his whole career as an orator and writer—is testament to that, but I think it’s interesting to see another facet of his writing; in some places, it’s straightforward like his prose (“In vain blood was made to flow”), and in some places, it’s a bit more lofty (“Adorn thy golden hair“). The poem shows he thought of Lincoln positively.
One of the first questions I had after reading this was: Did he deliver the poem at the inauguration, or was it a silent offering that was meant to be read by others? Also, I’d like to know more about his relationship with Abraham Lincoln, but I’m mostly curious about if he wrote any other poems. If so, did they deal with slavery and freedom, or did he ever write about more ‘fanciful’ matters such as nature or romance? Whenever I think of Douglass’s writing, I think of very sharp, crisp language; he’s poetic, but I don’t necessarily see him as a poet, so I’d be interested in seeing how his writing style differed, if at all, between prose and poetry.
This correspondence depicts a letter from Douglass requesting permission to make a literary offering to the inaugurational ceremony for the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., as well as a brief poem composed for the occasion entitled, “Father Abraham’s Monument”.
This piece is aesthetically pleasing, as handwriting samples of Douglass can at times be difficult to read. The script is clearly carefully copied, perhaps suggesting the importance of the message to Douglass.
The content of the poem itself deals with general praise for Lincoln, which reveals that Douglass obviously had much respect for him.
As far as the stylistic aspects of the poem are concerned, it is clear that Douglass is well educated and has experience writing in many styles and formats. This piece, while not as powerful as his prose, still reflects his high level of education and eloquence.
The most significant message concerning this correspondence is that Douglass had respect for Lincoln and was a skilled writer.
This correspondence depicts a letter from Douglass requesting permission to make a literary offering to the inaugurational ceremony for the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., as well as a brief poem composed for the occasion entitled, “Father Abraham’s Monument”.
This piece is aesthetically pleasing, as handwriting samples of Douglass can at times be difficult to read. The script is clearly carefully copied, perhaps suggesting the importance of the message to Douglass.
The content of the poem itself deals with general praise for Lincoln, which reveals that Douglass obviously had much respect for him.
As far as the stylistic aspects of the poem are concerned, it is clear that Douglass is well educated and has experience writing in many styles and formats. This piece, while not as powerful as his prose, still reflects his high level of education and eloquence.
The most significant message concerning this correspondence is that Douglass had respect for Lincoln and was a skilled writer.