"The Present Crisis"
"The Present Crisis" is a poem about freedom for all types of people, and how it encourages the soul. The crisis referred to in the poem is the crisis of freedom, and how many people don't have it despite America's claim of equality for all. This poem, written during a time when slavery still existed, takes into account the feelings of a slave, which was practically unheard of at the time. The poem also compares the freedom of both the rich and the poor, and how it equally effects them both in a positive way.
"The First Snowfall"
"The First Snowfall" takes into account not only the beauty of snow, but also the beauty of freedom. The poem symbolically portrays snow as freedom, a common theme found in many of Lowell's poems. The snow is told to "spread everywhere" and even lands on the scrawniest of trees. The poem explains that if freedom is given to everyone equally, like snow, then all will be more merry, just like the mesmerizing beauty that snow brings when it blankets the ground.
"Love"
If one were to count how many poems in history have been titled "Love," it would take months, perhaps even years. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though—love is a powerful emotion, and is hard to portray. Lowell, however, does an excellent job in putting true love into words. Simple things, like gathering by the fireside with friends and family, is what makes life worth living.
