Barbara Frietchie

The first five couplets set an idyllic scene. Surrounding the town of Frederick are green hills, “meadows rich with corn” (Line 1), and apple and peach tree orchards. It almost resembles the Garden of Eden, as suggested by the line “Fair as a garden of the Lord” (Line 7). The town itself has many “clustered spires,” suggestive of dignified buildings with many churches. The September morning is “cool” (Line 2) and “pleasant” (Line 9); it seems at first that there is nothing to disturb the people of Frederick as they go about their daily lives.

In Line 10 the disturbance comes. “Lee” is the leader of the Confederate army, General Robert E. Lee, who has chosen to invade Maryland. (Maryland was a slave-holding state and a border state but it did not secede from the Union.) Lee’s forces have traversed mountains—the Blue Ridge Mountains—and are heading for Frederick with both cavalry and infantry. Lee, however, is not leading the advance force that marches into Frederick that morning.

In the poem, the populace of Frederick is shown to have strong Unionist sentiments, since they display 40 Union flags (Lines 13-14). However, the men of the town appear to have no wish to antagonize the invaders; by noon, all the flags have been taken down.

The heroine of the ballad, Barbara Frietchie, is introduced in Line 17, and with her courage she is presented as opposite to the men. She is 90 years old and “bowed” (Line 18) in posture because of her age, but she is in no mood to bow to the invader. She is braver than any of the men (Line 19) and displays from her attic window one of the flags that the men had lowered.

Lines 23-24 show what she is up against. Stonewall Jackson—Confederate general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson—leads the advance force on horseback. Glancing around him, he sees the Union flag, halts his men, and orders them to fire their rifles at it. The damaging of the flag and its staff gives the poet a chance to emphasize Barbara’s continuing courage. She is not afraid or intimidated. What matters, the poem makes clear, is not physical strength but a person’s heart and convictions. She grabs the flag, which is described as the “silken scarf” (Line 32), in her hand, leans out of the window, and waves it. She is quite prepared for the rebels to shoot her, “But spare your country’s flag” (Line 36) she says, thus telling Jackson and his men that she regards them as rebels against their own country; the Confederacy, in her view, has no validity.

The speaker of the poem is obviously a staunch Unionist but he does not seek to denigrate the Confederate leader. He ascribes to Jackson a number of admirable qualities. Jackson is deeply impressed by Barbara Frietchie’s words and actions. His face expresses both sadness and shame, and his “nobler nature” (Line 39) comes to the surface. He orders his men to continue their march through the town but not one of them is to harm Barbara Frietchie in any way. Anyone who does will die “like a dog!” he says (Line 42). Thus, the poet conveys not only admiration for Barbara’s courage but also for the humanity of the rebel general. Jackson may be a leading participant in a bitter and brutal conflict, but he has not lost the ability to feel compassion and respect where it is due.

All day, the rebels march through Frederick on their way to make camp. (Historically, that advance force comprised 5,000 men, although the poet gives no numbers.) Throughout their march, the Union flag, the “free flag” (Line 45) that was rescued by Barbara Frietchie, although torn, flutters in the wind. The wind is presented as “loyal” (Line 48) to the Union; the winds love the flag. At sunset, the light still shines on it.

Beginning at Line 51, the narrative jumps forward in time. About a year has passed. Lee’s Maryland campaign is over, and Barbara Frietchie and Stonewall Jackson are dead. The final four couplets are a tribute to Barbara and a long tribute to the flag, described as the “Flag of Freedom and Union” (Line 56).

The speaker addresses the flag directly (a poetic technique known as apostrophe), telling it to wave over Barbara’s grave. (The historical Barbara Frietchie died in December 1862, a few months after the incident related in the ballad.) The speaker does not forget Stonewall Jackson’s chivalrous actions, either, asking that a tear may “Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall’s bier” (Line 54). (Jackson died less than eight months later, in May 1863, before the poem was written, so the speaker knows about his death.) Continuing his tribute to the flag, the speaker declares it to be a symbol of all that is good and noble: “peace and order and beauty” (Line 57), as well as “light and law.” He hopes that the stars will forever shine down upon it.