Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

In "John Brown," poet Robert Earl Hayden delves into the complex, morally ambivalent figure of John Brown, an American abolitionist whose violent methods and fateful raid on Harpers Ferry polarized public opinion and cast him as both a martyr and a terrorist. The poem presents a nuanced look at a man "aureoled in violence," yet possibly fulfilling a "prophetic task." In doing so, Hayden navigates the tightrope of history and myth, presenting a character that challenges simplistic ethical categorizations.

The poem opens with three simple but deeply charged words: "Love feared hated." These words encapsulate the range of emotions and judgments that Brown invoked in the people of his era-and arguably continues to invoke today. Hayden suggests that Brown was a man of contradictions, a figure "aureoled in violence," but potentially in service of a higher moral mission.

The question marks that follow "prophetic task" and "Axe in Jehovah's loving wrathful hand?" suggest that even Hayden himself is unsure of how to categorize John Brown. Was he a man anointed by divine providence to act as the wrathful hand of justice? Or was he simply a zealot, obsessed with his singular vision of right and wrong? This ambivalence is central to the poem's tension.

The physical description of Brown adds another layer to this complexity. His face is "not cruel," his eyes "not mad but unsparing," suggesting that he is not an unhinged lunatic, but rather someone with an unwavering, perhaps even unsettling, moral clarity. Hayden's choice of the word "unsparing" implies a kind of ruthless integrity, a willingness to do whatever is necessary to advance his cause.

Most strikingly, Hayden observes that Brown's life has "the symmetry of a cross," invoking the Christian symbol of sacrifice, redemption, and divine mission. By doing so, he raises the question of whether Brown was, in fact, a Christ-like figure who took upon himself the sins of a nation addicted to slavery, aiming to cleanse it through his actions.

Hayden concludes with the names "John Brown Ossowatomie De Old Man," calling forth not just the man, but also his deeds and his nicknames. "Ossowatomie" refers to the Battle of Osawatomie, where Brown fought pro-slavery forces in Kansas. "De Old Man" is a colloquial term, perhaps indicating how Brown was viewed by those who knew him or fought alongside him-someone venerable and perhaps a bit beyond the scope of ordinary understanding.

The poem leaves the reader in a state of questioning, grappling with the complicated ethics of a man who disrupted the moral complacency of his time. Through this concise yet deeply layered work, Hayden prompts us to consider the blurry lines between heroism and fanaticism, asking whether some causes might be so imperative that they justify means as troubling as those employed by John Brown.

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