Stanzas on Freedom by James Russell Lowell

Summary: Stanzas on Freedom is a poem about slavery and they way people should feel about it in Lowell's opinion.

Section One:

  • Men that say they come from fathers that fathers that were brave and free must ask a question to themselves
    • The question is: are you free if there are slaves, and if you do not feel the suffering slaves have, you are the foundation of slavery

Section Two:

  • Women that will have children must ask the question:
    • If you do not get upset about your fellow females in chains are you good enough to have children that are brave and free

Section Three:

  • The narrator says true freedom is not freedom for only ourselves but for everyone of mankind

Section Four:

  • People are slaves if they are scared to speak for others that are too weak to do it themselves
  • People are slaves if they will not speak up because they are scared of having hatred , or abuse sent at them
  • People are slaves if they are too scared to be in the minority

Other Notes:

  • The beginning of the poem, the first two stanza's are questions to people - the last two stanza's answer the questions
  • The individual and mankind should be considered one rather than separate
  • A slave is someone that will not stand up for what is right in their heart if they are scared because of the "majority"

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