Patrick Tabone Mrs.

Johnson Composition 1 15 March 2012

Tabone 1

Throughout literature, many authors take a serious or somber experience or event and morph it into something beautiful. It could range from falling off a bicycle to the wars over seas. A perfect example of this is in American writer Herman Melvilles poem Shiloh. Shiloh is a town in which a Civil War battle has occurred and has left Melville reflective upon this event. In his poem, Melville uses elements such as imagery, tone, alliteration, symbolism, and end rhyme to portray the deaths in the Civil War into something beautiful. By the use of Melvilles imagery and symbolism in Shiloh, it conveys something beautiful about the Civil War. As Melville describes Shiloh he explains that the swallows fly low (line 2). As a reader, one can interpret this like when Americans raise the flag halfway in honor and respect of the deceased or a tragic incident, Melville is doing the same with the swallows flying low rather than high in the sky to show respect for the ones that died in the Civil War. In addition, he utilizes symbolism when he chooses the phrase April rain (5). Like in most literature pieces, rain or water refers to purifying or cleansing of something. In this context, April rain symbolizes the washing away of the Civil War and death. The last example of symbolism is the church that is mentioned (9). In Shiloh, the author describes the church lone (10) which in other words can be inferred that the church is isolated. Being a church, it has the connotations of being sacred and holy; in addition, the church symbolizes

Tabone 2 sacred ground for the people that leave in Shiloh during the war. Through his use of imagery and symbolism, he transforms the destructive Civil War into something beautiful. Shilohs respectful and gentle tone enhances Melvilles alternation of the Civil war into something beautiful. In this poem, Melville chooses words that give a negative vibe such as pain (6) and fight (8) to describe the war. However, towards the end he reflects on the war by using positive and optimistic words such as prayer (12) and friends (14). Melville wishes to pray for his foeman (12) or enemies. Thus, forgetting their differences he is respectful of his enemy and has become friends with them. Like previously stated, The swallows fly low (2) also alludes to the overall tone of respect of the deaths in the War. Melville also utilizes alliteration and end rhyme to transfigure the Civil War into something beautiful. Throughout the poem, Melville uses multiple alliterations to give an emphasis on the lines in the poem. For example Skimmingstillswallows (1-2). Melville wants the reader to remember this line because he wants them to know that the swallows were flying low in respects to the dead. Another example is parched...pain...pause (6-7). Melville uses this alliteration in order to emphasis and describe that the injured should be comforted. In addition to alliteration, he employs end rhyme in his poem. Though Melville does not have a set rhyme scheme, he uses end rhyme on several of his lines. One example is rain (5) and pain (6). As one reads this, it suggests that the rain is purifying the people from the pain. Another example of end rhyme is night (7) and fight (8). The word night conveys that the war was tragic and awful instead

Tabone 3 of the war described on a perfect blue-sky afternoon, which does not describe a war at all. Melvilles use of alliteration and end rhyme helps to transform the Civil War into something beautiful. Shiloh written by Melville is an example of literature that portrays a tragic or negative event into something beautiful. His use of imagery, symbolism, tone, alliteration, and end rhyme help to enhance his purpose of the poem.