Walt Whitman has written many poems throughout his lifetime. A few of his poems were about death, war, and friendship. In his poem, "I Heard It Was Charged Against Me" Whitman talks about his views on friendship. He has a pretty laid back attitude towards his friends and the duties that come along with friendship. He says, "I am neither for nor against institutions." The institution that he's referring to is, "The institution of the dear love of comrades." Also, in this poem he says that he really doesn't have anything in common with other people, and he doesn't really care about them. However, he still has friends where he lives, and he establishes those ties. In Whitman's poem, "Beat! Beat! Drums!" Whitman is talking about the effect that war has on people. This poem was written in response to the Civil War when wives were losing their husbands and mothers were losing their children. His view of war is that it leaves people unhappy and no one can be left in peace. The drums and the bugles are heard throughout the city and they can't be ignored by anyone. He says, "Leave not the bridegroom quiet - no happiness must he have now with his bride." The groom that just got married can't be with his wife because of the war. Everyone's being separated from the ones that they love because they have to serve in the war, and there is always fear that they will lose them. Whitman's poem, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom"d" is about him mourning over the death of Abraham Lincoln. He was attached to Lincoln, and was really depressed when he passed away. Whitman thinks of what to do to honor Lincoln. He says, "O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?" He has so many ways to honor him and he has to figure out what song to sing and what pictures to hang "to adorn the burial-house of him I love." He still doesn't like the fact that Lincoln died and he will mourn for him every spring.
