Death of Abraham Lincoln
Matthew Zickefoose
Professor
English 113/9 a.m.
6 September 2013
Whitman, Walt. “Death of Abraham Lincoln.” The Norton Reader. 13th ed. Ed. Linda Peterson et al. New York: Norton, 2012. 716-23. Print. In Walt Whitman’s essay “Death of Abraham Lincoln” he describes Lincoln’s arrival in New York City and his death. Whitman begins with the arrival of Lincoln in New York City to prepare for his inauguration. He then writes about the reaction of the people as quiet and anxiously observing the new president. He begins describing Lincoln’s appearance giving the reader an idea of what Lincoln looks like, a tall, cunning, all black dressed man. The essay goes on with information on the Secession war with all of its gruesome tragedy but Whitman writes about a great literature that will come from this. Whitman then starts to transition to the main theme of the essay, the murder of Abraham Lincoln. Whitman writes about how Lincoln was fond of the theater and how he has seen him at the theatre several times and how Lincoln was attending one the day of his murder. People were dressed in rich costumes, music was playing in the background, and the triumph of the Union filled the theatre. The President and his wife sat on the second level in a large box. After the play finished when performers were leaving the stage that’s when Lincoln was murdered. At first not many people heard the gunshot or knew what was going on until John Wilkes Booth jumped onto the stage and Mrs. Lincoln screaming murder. Whitman concludes with Lincoln’s significance and says “the grand deaths of the race—the dramatic deaths of every nationality—are its most important inheritance value . . .” (722). In Walt Whitman’s essay, he effectively makes a relation between Lincoln’s death and the war. Whitman’s writing technique is good in such a way that he familiarizes you with who Lincoln is and about the war. He then goes on detailing the event of the murder creating a sense of suspense. Whitman
Professor
English 113/9 a.m.
6 September 2013
Whitman, Walt. “Death of Abraham Lincoln.” The Norton Reader. 13th ed. Ed. Linda Peterson et al. New York: Norton, 2012. 716-23. Print. In Walt Whitman’s essay “Death of Abraham Lincoln” he describes Lincoln’s arrival in New York City and his death. Whitman begins with the arrival of Lincoln in New York City to prepare for his inauguration. He then writes about the reaction of the people as quiet and anxiously observing the new president. He begins describing Lincoln’s appearance giving the reader an idea of what Lincoln looks like, a tall, cunning, all black dressed man. The essay goes on with information on the Secession war with all of its gruesome tragedy but Whitman writes about a great literature that will come from this. Whitman then starts to transition to the main theme of the essay, the murder of Abraham Lincoln. Whitman writes about how Lincoln was fond of the theater and how he has seen him at the theatre several times and how Lincoln was attending one the day of his murder. People were dressed in rich costumes, music was playing in the background, and the triumph of the Union filled the theatre. The President and his wife sat on the second level in a large box. After the play finished when performers were leaving the stage that’s when Lincoln was murdered. At first not many people heard the gunshot or knew what was going on until John Wilkes Booth jumped onto the stage and Mrs. Lincoln screaming murder. Whitman concludes with Lincoln’s significance and says “the grand deaths of the race—the dramatic deaths of every nationality—are its most important inheritance value . . .” (722). In Walt Whitman’s essay, he effectively makes a relation between Lincoln’s death and the war. Whitman’s writing technique is good in such a way that he familiarizes you with who Lincoln is and about the war. He then goes on detailing the event of the murder creating a sense of suspense. Whitman