Arlington National Cemetery an Essential American Experience

A few weeks ago I wrote the first story in a series about cemetery landscape architecture, focusing on Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. It’s the first purpose-designed cemetery in America where the dead repose in a garden setting. Paths and narrow roads, water features, small gardens, and heirloom trees surround monuments and memories. Mount Auburn’s blissfully arranged, though not ordered. The way of all flesh is, of course, the realm of nature. Mount Auburn comes to us via the English garden tradition, where the sculpted wild rules.

Today I’ll write about Arlington National Cemetery (“Arlington”). I spent most of the day there on July 4. It’s the country’s flagship military cemetery, with 400,000 veterans buried in a 640-acre site. Visiting Arlington is an essential experience, not only for Americans but for foreigners. It’s somber, since sacrifice isn’t by nature cheery. It’s uplifting, too, and not a history lesson but a deep tutorial taught by the dead. And it’s beautiful.

About the Author

Brian T. Allen

Brian T. Allen is National Review’s art critic.

A few weeks ago I wrote the first story in a series about cemetery landscape architecture, focusing on Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge. It’s the first purpose-designed cemetery in America where the dead repose in a garden setting. Paths and narrow roads, water features, small gardens, and heirloom trees surround monuments and memories. Mount Auburn’s blissfully arranged, though not ordered. The way of all flesh is, of course, the realm of nature. Mount Auburn comes to us via the English garden tradition, where the sculpted wild rules.

Today I’ll write about Arlington National Cemetery (“Arlington”). I spent most of the day there on July 4. It’s the country’s flagship military cemetery, with 400,000 veterans buried in a 640-acre site. Visiting Arlington is an essential experience, not only for Americans but for foreigners. It’s somber, since sacrifice isn’t by nature cheery. It’s uplifting, too, and not a history lesson but a deep tutorial taught by the dead. And it’s beautiful.