suffer'd. (180-185)In this passage from the poem, Whitman is saying that the people that are left behind are the only ones to suffer in death. The person who had died are not suffering at all, they are finally at peace. Throughout the entire poem "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" Whitman discusses death, and how the death of the president affect the nation. He also gives the reader glimpse into his only feelings about death. President Lincoln's assassination affected the nation in many ways. In part 13 stanza two Whitman describes to the reader the nations reaction to the loss and also his observation. In this stanza Whitman shows how life continued after the death. His death was still a mystery to the nation, but the nation was not stopping. They were continuing on with their day to day activities such as farming, shipping, and socializing. Nature continued with the tides and the season changing. Throughout the rest of part 13 Whitman expresses his curiosity towards death. He seems to embrace it at the end of part 13. This can been seen in the following passage.The Night in silence under many a star, The ocean shore and the husky whispering wave whose voice I know,And the soul turning to thee O vast and well-veil'd death,And the body gratefully nestling close to thee. (155-159)Here Whitman seems to be celebrating death. This could also come from his time spent as a wound-dresser. The time Walt Whitman spent as a wound-dresser has greatly affected him, his views of death, and his poetry. Because of his experiences with the soldiers, Whitman learned to value death. He thinks as death as a blessing, almost a relief from the harsh world. He also talked about the living and how death affected them. This could very well come from his feelings of himself being left behind and watching people around him die. All in all Whitman uses his life experiences in his poetry, particularly regarding death. ...
