Lincoln's assassination in the spring of 1865 had a violent impact on the lives of the nations people, and was a deep and personal tragedy for American poet Walt Whitman. Whitman shared several beliefs with the former president including those of equality and freedom, and felt that with Lincoln's murder came the death of such values. The poets sense of loss inspired him to write the memorable piece When Lilacs last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, where his use of parallelism clearly establishes his grief as central theme in the poem.
             In When Lilacs last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, Whitman uses free verse to express both the speaker and nations reaction towards Lincoln's death. The speakers confusion about his own feelings concerning the presidents death is shown through the vivid descriptions of re-awakening spring life, and the lilac tree. The poet hesitates on his methods of honoring Lincoln, now that he has passed on. Sometimes he sees his offering of the lilac as a symbol of life and beauty; but at other moments views it as pointless, merely a broken twig. Whitman also uses symbols of a bird and star to generate the notion that nature is understanding of, but still separate from human
             Society. While the setting of the star is a clear illustration of Lincoln's mortality, the birds continuous singing tackles Whitman's inner conflict regarding how to acknowledge his great loss. Should he continue to express himself through his writing? Or should he cease and suffer, like the bird when it stops singing?
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