Poetry Precis #4 - "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border" by William E. Stafford

William E. Stafford, in his poem, “At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border,” uses a serious tone and an off-line rhyme to show the reader the importance of a place, even if we think that since nothing significant has occurred there, it is of little importance to us. In the first stanza, Stafford, uses negatives, “this is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown soldier did not die” to show the reader that although nothing of historical significance took place here, that is no reason to disregard a certain area of land. He continues to write, “...no monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky.” Here, Stafford is making a point of saying that since no acts of heroism, or even the opposite, warlike acts (acts of hatred), have not taken place; therefore, there is no reason for a monument to be standing here. He seems to be angered by the fact that a monument stands in places of war, when, “Birds fly here without any sound,” this area of land is peaceful- representing peace and not war. Should we not be pro-peace? Why are there not any monuments in fields where no wars took place, no battle was fought and peace was represented by an open field? Stafford’s serious tone shows the reader where society is at fault and what they are missing out on. Society should not constantly be focusing on places of war, rather of peace.