I grew up north
of Schenectady in New York. From my home it was a comfortable drive to the
Saratoga Battlefield where there was a monument to Benedict Arnold. This honored his heroic actions at Saratoga
during the Revolutionary War. Because Arnold later became the traitor who
conspired with the British major John André, only Arnold's leg, wounded in
battle for the American cause, was depicted.
His name was not given on the monument.
I visited this "Boot Monument" when I was young and never
forgot it.
Years later,
researching Arnold, I was moved by the story of André. My poems in Issue 15 of Notre Dame Review are two that resulted from this interest.
Although many of my poems do not refer to historical events, I suspect that
more of my poems than I realize, are influenced in some way by the past.