Walt Whitman quote on Abraham Lincoln death

“Of all the days of the war, there are two especially I can never forget. Those were the day following the news, in New York and Brooklyn, of that first Bull Run defeat, and the day of Abraham Lincoln’s death. I was home in Brooklyn on both occasions. The day of the murder we heard the news very early in the morning. Mother prepared breakfast—and other meals afterward—as usual; but not a mouthful was eaten all day by either of us. We each drank half a cup of coffee; that was all. Little was said. We got every newspaper morning and evening, and the frequent extras of that period, and pass’d them silently to each other.”

—

More info:

Walt wrote four poems about the President’s death – “O Captain! My Captain!”,  “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”, “Hush’d Be the Camps To-day”, and “This Dust was Once the Man.” 

About Walt:

Walt Whitman, born in 1819, overcame early hardships to become a renowned poet, known for “Leaves of Grass.” His Civil War experiences deeply influenced his empathetic, impactful work. Click here to read our snapshot biography of Walt. 

Walt Whitman quote on Abraham Lincoln death sources:

Portrait of Walt Whitman taken in 1887 – Cox, George C, photographer. Walt Whitman. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2005681122/>. / Complete Prose Works Specimen Days and Collect / “Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman – Project Gutenberg.

Note:

Please click here to read another Walt Whitman quote.