Consider “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” as an elegy.

Answer

Consider “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” as an elegy. [NU: 2017, 20, 22] ★★★

Or, Do you think “When Lilacs last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” is an elegy? Substantiate your answer. [NU: 2015]

Walt Whitman’s (1819-1892) poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” (1865) is one of the greatest elegies in American literature. An elegy is a poem of mourning. It is written to express sorrow for the death of a great person. This poem was written after the death of President Abraham Lincoln in 1865. In this poem, Whitman expresses both personal grief and the sorrow of the whole nation. Here we will discuss “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” as an elegy.

The Lilac as a Symbol of Grief: The lilac flower becomes the central symbol of this elegy. At the beginning of the poem, Whitman describes a lilac bush blooming in the dooryard.

“When lilacs last in the dooryard bloom’d.”

He says that every spring, when lilacs will bloom again, he will remember his beloved leader Lincoln. So, the lilac represents his deep grief and love for Lincoln.

The lilac bush is tall-growing. The leaves are heart shaped and rich green in color. The heart-shaped leaves suggest love and affection for the dead leader, Abraham Lincoln. Whitman plucks a sprig of lilac and offers it to the coffin of Lincoln.

The Star as a Symbol of Death: Another powerful image in the elegy is the star. Whitman calls it the “western fallen star.” This star refers to Lincoln, who guided the nation like a light but was suddenly taken away. The setting of the star in the west symbolizes death and disappearance. By using this symbol, Whitman shows that Lincoln was not only a national leader but also a guiding star for his people. Whitman writes:

“O powerful western fallen star!…

O great star disappear’d…”

Here, the repetition of