John Brown’s Body

John Brown’s Body, epic poem in eight sections about the American Civil War by Stephen Vincent Benét, published in 1928 and subsequently awarded a Pulitzer Prize.

The scrupulously researched narrative begins just before John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry and ends after the assassination of Pres. Abraham Lincoln. Benét’s tone is one of reconciliation. From his viewpoint there are few villains and many heroes; the North and the South are afforded equal respect. Along with historical figures such as Lincoln and Robert E. Lee, Benét presents Americans of many backgrounds, occupations, and opinions, from Southern aristocrats and their slaves to farm-boy soldiers from Pennsylvania and Illinois.