The Robert Gould Shaw monument in Boston is one of the most significant monuments in America because of the way that it depicts history, culture and elements that built the American social order from the ground up. A close analysis of the information presented in the poem provides an overview of how the American society shapes up through history and how people change to accommodate new ideas. In fact, the placement, expression and context of the poem support the views by Robert Lowell’s that the America and Boston of 1960 do not embody the same good ideals and values that dominated prior epochs, both from a cultural and sustainability point of view. The monument does this by underlining the sacrifice, desire and cultural openness that existed in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, but are absent in the 1960 Boston and America. The writing on the relief reads, “He left behind everything to save the Republic.” This is an integral part of the monument because it explains the sacrifices that Americans were willing to make back in the day in order to preserve the culture and ideals that people hold …show more content…
However, for those that actually participate, serves not more than a reminder. In fact, rather than destroy their surroundings and values that drive them to such recognition, they would rather preserve it. Lowell does recognize this fact and articulates his dismay at the destruction of traditional amenities in favor of contemporary structures plus the obsession with modern machines, or technology. Therefore, the challenge that the monument gives to the American people and the people of Boston underlines their inability to replicate the actions of those who came before them, which supports Lowell’s contention that the 1960 Boston and America is a far cry from the prior