2-24 When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd is a poem that explains the sadness and grief experienced by its author after the death of President Lincoln. President Lincoln was a very dear president to many at the time of his assassination and much of the nation was mourning at the news. One of the lines that stuck out the most to me was when Walt Whitman wrote
"O what shall I hang on the chamber walls?
And what shall the pictures be that I hang on the walls,
To adorn the burial-house of him I love?"
As I read this and thought about what it meant I found it to be Whitman wondering how he could remember all the great things President Lincoln has done and capture them in something as simple as a picture. Though a picture can say a thousand words sometimes, I believe it can also leave out so many more. Especially at such a sad time as death. When someone dies those close to that person want so badly to remember the person; their personality, their accomplishments, and what they meant in their life. It becomes very hard to acknowledge and remember all that a person has accomplished. With all the great things Lincoln did for our country Whitman, in saying this, was recognizing the incredible impact Lincoln has had on America and saying that it is not possible to simply sum all these events up in a picture. Lincoln’s life had so much meaning to so many and it is impossible that it could all be wrapped up in a photograph. In the line before this Whitman said
“These and with these and the breath of my chant,
I’ll perfume the grave of him I love.”
Here he is saying that he will share the accomplishments of his friend in order to honor the name and office of Lincoln. Whitman had a great respect for President Lincoln and the progress and growth he encouraged and led as president. The respect and adoration Whitman had for Lincoln is very evident in this poem as he grieves and comes to terms with the death of a loved one.