Walt Whitman's Poem When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd

Walt Whitman romanticizes the American legend of a great leader during turbulent times while rendering his own ideas of Democracy and radical equality in his eulogy of President Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." Whitman "sings" the joyous praises of Abraham Lincoln as a champion of racial equality during times of national civil disagreement. He also reveals to the reader his support of equality and abolitionism, basic themes repeated over and over again in Whitman's works. A poet with the optimistic and idealistic sentiment of "American exceptionalism," Whitman shared with the deceased president the common beliefs in the power of Democracy and in the idea that American citizens should serve as examples to the world. At the time of authorship, the nation was undergoing vast changes in the social, economic, and political structure of its people as the leaders in Washington struggled to reunite a broken country.

Through measures of reconstruction, Lincoln had hoped to regain the union between the states as the country stood on the doorstep of a radical Industrial Revolution. With the death of President Lincoln as figurehead, however, renewal seemed nearly impossible. Lincoln had died in the springtime during the month of April just as the lilacs began to bloom outside of the White House. The blooming lilacs would not only serve as a reminder of the death of a great president but serve as a metaphor for the eternal renewal of life, which the nation would successfully undergo. The purpose of the poem is to remember the life of a great president and to insure the American public that the nation would succeed in reuniting through its symbols of immortality. Whitman explores dominate themes of Radical equality, the need for democracy, outward motion, love of man and nature, and the dislike of Orthodox Religion in "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd". He employs literary devices to convey the meanings of such themes by way of metaphors, similes, personification, apostrophe, metonomy, and connotation. Also included are the dominate devices of symbolism, imagery, understatement, and hyperbole as well as rhetorical devices of tone, syntax, and diction.

Figurative language is used heavily in Whitman's eulogy of President Lincoln, with a major emphasis on the devices of metaphor, simile and personification to increase the awareness in the purpose of his poem. Perhaps the most abundantly used device, the metaphor, brings together for the reader the central themes of the work. The sentiment that Lincoln in death may no longer be able to positively change the country is expressed in the lines, "O great star disappear'd - O the black murk that hides the star!" (2, 9) Lincoln is represented in this instance as the great star hidden by the "black murk", death.

When Andrew Johnson became president at this pinnacle of national panic, the public was uncertain if he would follow Lincoln's outlined policy of the ten percent plan for reconstruction on fold under pressure from radical Republicans. Metaphorically the song mentioned in "Death's outlet song of life" (4, 24) represents the immortality of Lincoln's ideals of Democracy and equality as reconstructive measures were set in motion, my the obedient President Johnson. The sense of mission in renewing the country can be found when flowers are compared to the nation progress of reunifying in "Where the violets peep'd from the ground, spotting the gray debris" (5, 27). The gray debris represents the turmoil and anger still existing in sectional differences; The violets show that the nation is beginning to unify again. Whitman believes that Lincoln was killed too soon, still in the blooming stages of life with so many plans for the country in "A spring with its flower I break." (3, 17).

He then gives his respect and essentially in an unorthodox manner, a theme of Whitman commonly repeated, saying this renewal will be granted by him personally, through his poems by saying "I give you my sprig of lilac." (6, 45). Besides the traditional custom of placing flowers on the coffin or grave of the dead, Whitman is giving affirmation to the dead president that he shall live on forever in memory. Whitman continues to preserve the legend of Lincoln by writing, "Yet the lilac with its mastering odor holds me." (13, 107). In retrospect Whitman states that the grieving period ("the night") is over for the country, Johnson has come to power, and the nation has arisen out of its dark period in "Now, while I sat in the day and looked forth,"(14, 108). Metaphors dominate the poem with in-depth comparisons between Lincoln and nature, revealing Whitman's theme of universal love of man and nature.

Although metaphors prove to be the most widely used example figurative language displayed in "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" examples of simile and personification can be located. Blossoms are described to be as fresh as the morning in lines forty seven and forty eight of the seventh verse, "Blossoms and branches green to coffins all I bring, / For fresh as the morning, thus would I chant a song for you O sane and scary death." More abundant than similes, examples of personification can be found when Whitman gives death human-like characteristics. He states that he understands death and has come to accept the loss of a great national leader in "Then with knowledge of death as walking one side of me, / And the thought of death close-walking the other side of me, / And I in the middle as with companions, and as holding the hands of companions," (14, 120-122). Lincoln is compared to a star, mainly the sun, by Whitman in "And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night." (1, 2).

The sun may set, but it can not droop as if burdened by strong emotions. Not only can this star represent Lincoln, but it can also convey the time of the year as late winter or early spring. A sun setting early launches the world into darkness, a period of mourning. The star continues to carry mystical characteristics when it bends to talk to the speaker in "As I saw you had something to tell as you bent to me night after night, / As you droop'd from the sky low down as if to my side, (while the other stars all look'd on,)" (8, 58-59). Whitman claims that he is on a mission to sanctify the unity that President Lincoln had attempted to accomplish in saying, "The star my departing comrade holds and detains me."(9, 70). A dead body can not literally detain a person physically but can hold them mentally with emotion as did Lincoln with the poet. Figurative language including similes and personification are used in Whitman's eulogy to strengthen his position of respect and views of equality, nationalism, freedom, and other qualities he emulated in Lincoln, while grasping the attention of the reader.

Additional employment of literary devices in an attempt to force readers to contemplate the meaning of his statements are introduced by Whitman with usage of apostrophe, metonomy, and connotation. A rhetorical device commonly used in oratory, Whitman uses examples of apostrophe to express his sincere feelings of grief and convey that he is gushing with emotion. He is crying out to Lincoln in "O powerful western fallen star! / O shades of night - O moody, tearful night! / O great star disappear'd - O the black murk that hides the star! O cruel hands that hold me powerless - O helpless soul of me! O harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul." (2, 7-11).

He desires the nation to take note, both citizens of the North and South, and commemorate the philosophies of a great leader. Another example of an apostrophe again addresses Lincoln symbolically through the image of a star, although in his grave and unable to respond back, "O western orb sailing the heaven, / Now I know what you must have meant as a month since I walk'd." (8, 55-56). He asks Lincoln how he personally and the country may recover from the loss of a respected president by inquiring "O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?" (10, 71).

Metonomy, the device of describing a whole object with the use of only part, brings to the attention of the reader that Lincoln himself was part of the whole country and came to symbolize its entirety. A large crowd gathering to watch the coffin of Lincoln pass by on its way to Springfield, Illinois for burial is recognized as a "silent sea of faces." (6, 38). The faces represent whole people in this instance. The mentioned leaf represents the lilac bush in "every leaf a miracle" (3, 15). The method of using a portion to express a whole brings about the idea that Lincoln was a portion that could be used to express the entire country. It also focuses the reader to determine his or her own ideas of meaning in important passages.

The use of words with varying or dual definitions is widely used in this poem by Whitman to again force the reader to think. This device, connotation, allows the audience to search for multiple meanings. The "song of the bleeding throat" (4, 23) can be interpreted as the noise made by a type of bird with a red neck literally. Another meaning that can be determined is that the bleeding throat is a person who is trying to overcome immense grief. The idea of family and friends bringing flowers to the grave or coffin of a deceased person can be literally interpreted in "Blossoms and branches green to coffins all I bring," (7, 47). However a deeper meaning may be found upon realization of a major theme in Whitman's writing, the cycle of life. Figuratively, this line means that with every life take, another will be granted as the earth continues to renew itself. Examples of apostrophe, metonomy, and connotation make the eulogy of President Lincoln possess a more powerful meaning and draw the read in for deeper contemplation.

Symbolism, imagery, hyperbole, and understatement are all devices that Whitman uses to focus the reader on his philosophies of equality, freedom, and Democracy and recount the life of a great American hero. The lilacs symbolically serve as a reminder of the renewal of life and also can be represent the late President Lincoln as Whitman's love of nature is shown. The dooryard where the lilac bush resides "fronting an old farmhouse" represents the White House, the center of reform where the theory of national rebirth after the Civil War is being initiated. The coming of spring symbolizes the passage of time and the constant memories of a great president in "Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring," (1, 4).

The evening star represents Lincoln also and the idea that although he has "become dark" in death, his policies will always rise again. The "harsh surrounding cloud that will not free my soul," is the grief of one man and also the grip that sectional disagreement has held on the country, not allowing unity amongst fellow citizens. The symbolism of many objects allows for varied and wide interpretations so that the audience can become more involved in this work. Imagery is a device used by Walt Whitman to heighten the experience of reading and make the ideas outlined within seem more real. Life thriving onward is displayed quite vividly in "Lilac bush tall growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green," (3, 14). The "dropping star in the west" (1,5) conveys an idea of grief and period of darkness in the sky and in America. Further descriptions detail the sentiment of a mourning nation in "With the fourth-month eve at sundown, and the gray smoke lucid and bright"(11, 82) and tell of rebirth in "With floods of the yellow gold of the gorgeous, idolent sinking sun, burning expanding the air." (11, 83).

Upon remembering the burial of President Lincoln, Whitman describes the healing nation in imagery as "In the heavenly aerial beauty (after the perturb'd winds and storms,) / Under the arching heavens of the afternoon swift passing, and the voices of children and women, / The many-moving sea-tides, and I saw the ships how they sail'd" (14, 111-113). In addition to examples of imagery, Whitman uses the literary devices, hyperbole and understatement, to get readers to re-examine his statements. Certainly not everyone was in attendance as Lincoln's coffin passed through cities despite the statement, "With the thousand voices rising strong and solemn, / With all the mournful voices of the dirges pour'd around the coffin," (6, 40-41). At this time also the nation was still divided over issues fought over in the Civil War, therefore, not all would be mournful to see the leader of the Union be killed, especially those in the South.

Another exageration can be found in "Now I know what you must have meant as a month since I walk'd" (8, 55) a very unlikely statement considering the state of the author. The importance of Lincoln is understated in the passage beginning " Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid the cities," (5, 26). Here the landscape viewed as the coffin makes its journey across the nation is more heavily emphasized than the actual coffin itself. Whitman is showing his love of nature in this passage through understating the importance of the coffin holding the body of Lincoln. Also instead of focusing inward at the contents of the content and the body of the man, a feeling of outward or forward motion is displayed as his attention is directed at the outside landscape. A sentiment of achieving more progress is focused on more in this passage also, than the personal grief of the author. Symbolism, imagery, hyperbole, and understatement are devices used to focus the reader on the ideals and statements being made by Walt Whitman in his eulogy, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd".

Devices including tone, diction, and syntax are examined in Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" to form a complete and formal eulogy to the deceased president. The tone of the poem is one of solemn praise, expressing grief as well as gratitude. Using very powerful syntax, Whitman employs devices including listing, anaphora, long lines, and flexible stanzaic structure, and junxtaposition. An instance of listing can be located in "O powerful western fallen star! / O shades of night - O moody, tearful night / O great star disappear'd - O the black murk that hides the star!..." (2, 7-11). This is a common technique used by Whitman to bring attention to the mentioned items so that the reader will continue to reflect upon their further meaning. The esteemed poet uses the literary device of anaphora to force the idea upon the reader in "I hear your notes, I hear your call, I hear," (9, 67-68). Whitman links two opposites during this time period of bitterness and resentment, the North and the South, in attempt to unify them in "The South and the North in the light, Ohio's shores and flashing Missouri." Descriptive words with a formal, solemn undertone, including "enveloping", "heavenly", and "mastering" to incite emotions in the reader in the form of diction.

Whitman uses his poem, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" make steps in unifying the nation and preserve the legacy of President Lincoln through his powerful words. He suggests that his main theme for writing this poem is to bring a broken country shattered by sectional disagreement to compromise in, "I saw battle-corpses, myriads of them, / And the white skeletons of young men, I saw them, / I saw the debris and debris of all the slain soldiers of the war, / Bust I saw they were not as was thought, / They themselves were fully at rest, they suffer'd not," (15, 177-181). Whitman is acknowledging in this passage that the soldiers found peace in death with their enemies and what their enemies had done to them. Therefore, he claims, the North and South should be able to overlook the atrocities imposed on one another and become one once more. Whitman finally decides to let go of the grief felt over the death of a great leader while still preserving his legacy in "Passing, I leave thee lilac with heart shaped leaves, / I leave thee there in the door-yard, blooming, returning with spring." (16, 193-194). Lincoln's legacy will continue to live on through examples set forth and his policies of morality in "Yet each to keep and all, retrievements out of the night," (16, 198). A focus of nationalism, desire for unity, and hope for equality are outlined in Walt Whitman's eulogy to the great abolitionist president, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd."