Exploring Whitman

The first thought that crossed my mind after reading all of “Drum-Taps” was that the Civil War had humbled Walt Whitman. It is difficult for me to imagine the 1855 Whitman and the 1892 Whitman as the same individual. In the 1855 Leaves of Grass Whitman even admits that he is egotistical and writes, “I know perfectly well my own egotism” (76). Yet, when I compare the pre-war Whitman to post-war Whitman, I can see that his all knowing attitude changed from being a confident poet who thought his poetry would save the nation, to a poet that was reflecting on the devastating effects of war.

Yet, at the same time I feel that Whitman has a distinctive voice that is calling out to his readers. Although he no longer has all of the answers, Whitman wants readers to reflect on the change in the nation by turning to his poetry. I came to this conclusion after reading “As I lay with my Head in Your Lap Camerado”. Reading this poem, and comparing it to pre-war Whitman, his first person “I” is still present. Also, through the usage of “you” there is still the personal invocation to the reader. The usage of the word “confession” further indicates that Whitman is trying to maintain a relationship with his readers, because he is able to expose this personal secret.

Yet the speaker is no longer someone that is confident and all knowing. Immediately, just by looking at the title, the image denotes a change in the position that the speaker is placing himself. No longer the “prophet” authority figure; rather, the title suggests a speaker who is weak and is in a position of submission with their head in a lap. But, when examining the end of the poem, I saw a reference to the “pre-war” Whitman, when the speaker admits “I confess I have urged you onward with me.” These lines echoed Whitman’s 1855 “Song of Myself”, when the speaker utters, “Shoulder your duds, and I will mine, and let us hasten forth” (82). However, in this 1855 poem, Whitman saw a journey that had a rewarding result, as opposed to the 1892 Whitman who ends the poem in a disillusioned state and writes, “without the least idea what is our destination”. After being beside death day in and day out, Whitman no longer had all the answers to the journey of life, therefore his poetry reflects his disillusioned nature.

At the same time however, Reynolds reminds us that Whitman saw the war as a “purifying fire”. So, although Whitman witnessed the horrors of war, Whitman must have thought of war as a necessary evil that would eventually strengthen the nation. This is reflected consistently throughout Drum-Taps. I saw this most vividly in the poem “Song of the Banner at Daybreak”. First, this poem is unique because it is one of the first times that there is a distinct recognition of speakers and sections. The poet, pennant, child, and farther are all connected because of the commonalities of war and fighting for freedom. Yet at the same time each speaker brings something different to the poem. The child represents the raw innocence and sees the good in the nation and states, “O father it is alive”. Using the childlike figure in this poem, Whitman is no longer putting himself as an all knowing speaker, yet Whitman uses this child’s words to convey the hope for the future of a united America.