Write a note on Whitman’s use of images and symbols.
Write a note on Whitman s use of images and symbols NU Walt Whitman - is a famous American poet He uses images and symbols in his poetry to express deep feelings In both When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d and O Captain My Captain Whitman uses many symbols and images to show his grief about the death of Abraham Lincoln Images from Nature In When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d Whitman takes three main images from nature the lilac the star and the bird The lilac stands for love and respect The lilac leaves are heart-shaped and rich green Whitman plucks a sprig of lilac and offers it to the coffin of Lincoln This act makes the lilac a symbol of respect The star stands for Lincoln who has fallen The bird sings a mournful song These natural symbols help Whitman to express his sorrow
and love for the dead leader The Funeral Images Whitman also uses the images of the coffin and mourning crowds He describes that a coffin has arrived He draws the sad and silent crowd of mourners Countless torches are also lit to show respect to Lincoln With the silent sea of faces the arriving coffin and the sombre faces These images perfectly show a grieving nation Ship and Captain O Captain My Captain is a symbolic poem In this poem the captain is Abraham Lincoln and the ship is America The captain dies just after returning his ship safely to the shore The trip was stormy and fearful This fearful trip is the symbol of the American Civil War - Lincoln died just after leading the nation to victory So in this symbolic poem Whitman is expressing his deep sorrow and respect for Lincoln He writes Where on the deck my Captain lies Fallen cold and dead To sum up Whitman uses images and symbols perfectly to express his grief They make his poems deep in meaning