The use of eagles, as opposed to another animal or even a different species of bird, is significant. The dalliance as described is powerful. The eagles are courageous—they gyrate through the sky falling downward, almost to the river, before separating to begin an upward flight. As a winged creature the eagle is a symbol of freedom. The act of reproduction in itself is one of immortality, at least in terms of creating progeny and continuing the propagation of the species.
A dalliance is “a leisurely or frivolous passing of time, the act or an instance of light-hearted flirting, a casual love affair” (OED). Whitman’s choice of the word dalliance to describe this incident is telling. Like a dalliance, this poem is intimate but light-hearted. It is the result of a casual observation that is expressed in exalted terminology.
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