Significance Of HUSH D BE The Camps To Day By Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman was a journalist and poet, who was born on May 31, 1819 in West Hills, New York. Whitman shied away from the normal aesthetic form, transformed traditional epics, and reflected the nature of the American experience and its democracy. Because of this, Whitman is considered to be one of America’s most influential poets (Biography.com). Under the title of the poem, HUSH’D BE THE CAMPS TO-DAY, Walt Whitman chose to include the date that the poem was written, which was May 4th, 1865. This proves to be significant to the poem because this was the date on which President Abraham Lincoln was buried, after his assassination. Because of this, along with the content of the poem, HUSH’D BE THE CAMPS TO-DAY proves to be a tribute to President …show more content…
In the span of Lincoln’s presidency, he was forced to deal with a great deal of conflicts. And, to make matters worse, a majority of the conflicts that he had to deal with were all taking place in the country that he was running. By Lincoln including the lines above, I believe him to be saying that although Lincoln’s presidency was a difficult one, he will no longer have to deal with these problems any longer. And although the nation was at war with itself during Lincoln’s presidency, there were still people who respected him, loved him, and believed him to be a great president. “As they invault the coffin there, Sing — as they close the doors of earth upon him — one verse, For the heavy hearts of the soldiers” …show more content…
However, this quote is not just about the burial of a president, it is also about the feelings of the soldiers that fought for him. The last line of the poem indicates that the soldiers were extremely upset about the assassination of President Lincoln. This leads me to believe that all of the soldiers must have had a great deal of respect for him. Just as Whitman’s HUSH’D BE THE CAMPS TO-DAY was written about and important moment in the history of the United States, his poem Beat! Beat! Drums! was also written about an important time in U.S history. Beat! Beat! Drums! is a poem that takes place in 1861. This poem describes the beginning of the American Civil War. The poem then speaks to the fact that the Civil War, like the music of the drums and bugles, affects all people. This poem is a metaphor between the music of the drums and bugles, and the American Civil War. “Beat! beat! drums! — blow! bugles! blow! Through the windows — through doors — burst like a ruthless force, Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation, Into the school where the scholar is studying; Leave not the bridegroom quiet — no happiness must he have now with his