Explication on a Poem in Dirge for the Two Veterans - Book Report/Review Example

? Explication Essay on a poem Introduction A dirge is a mourning song. Used in the therefore, the poem is about the narrator coming in terms with the death of two soldiers in his camp. This gloomy poem is about a soldier who speaks of the pain that is brought by the death of two veterans. There are elements in his words that seem to give him solace; the moon, drums, and bugles. He says, “For the sun is brought with the father.” This line would either mean that the two veterans in question were brought together by death because they died together. The two veterans are probably father and son. The line could also mean that the veterans who died were joined with God, father and son. The narrator does not seem ready to move on despite the fact that the veterans are no longer available. He says, “I see the sad procession, and I hear the sound of coming full-key’d bugles; ….the city streets they’re flooding…with voices and tears.” This stanza of the poem brings out the despondency of the narrator. What made the matter even more serious is the fact that the veterans were frontline fighters. The “fierce assault” these veterans went through is still clear in the narrators mind. He is devastated by the scene of the battle. Finally, the narrator comes to term with the demise of the two veterans and gives them a tribute. This paper will bring out several aspects of the poem. Tone, style, invocation, imagery, connotations and denotations, metaphors, similes and the interpretation of the poem Dirge for two Veterans by Walt Whitman will be brought out in the paper. The poem being a dirge has a somber tone. The sorrow of the narrator is brought out in many instances in this poem. From the first stanza, the mood is melancholic. In the first line, the narrator talks of “The last sunbeam.” Here, the narrator brings out a feeling of a situation where the veterans’ last breath is equated to the day coming to an end. These two situations are similar and bring a cloud of sadness. There are selective words that bring out the poignant feeling that was intended for this dirge. Words that emphasize the heartrending and mournful scene include ghastly, silent and phantom. The effect of the death of the two veterans on the narrator is brought out clearly when he points out, “I hear the great drums pounding……and every blow of the convulsive drums, strike me through and through.” This shows that the death of the two veterans was a massive blow to the narrator. The poem has no trace of rhyme scheme in it. It brought out the verse as blank. This dirge is about the dejection of the narrator with no rhyming in any of the stanzas. Personification is seen when the narrator reveals “…I hear the great drums pounding.” Pounding is associated with the heart. Giving drums the sound made by the human heart that is in anxiety brings out personification by the narrator. The use of invocation in the dirge is noted in several situations. Invocation is a poet’s appeal to a muse or a deity to rally round in a challenging situation. The calling out for help by the narrator is seen when he says, “O strong dead-march, you please me, O moon immense….you soothe me….what I have I also give you.” The narrator is in need of the invocation of a superior power, people who have already been through the circumstance he is in. He calls upon the moon to illuminate on his tough times so that he can find solace. He is also soothed by the fact that the veterans who passed on long before went through the same condition. The poet makes use of imagery as a stylistic device. Imagery is used in the dirge to bring out the heartrending situation of the dirge. The grandeur of the moon is brought out in the image of a mother that shines so brightly. The narrator experiences this brilliance right in his face. He says, “The sorrowful vast phantom moves illumin’d….some mother’s large, transparent face…brighter glowing.” The moon is brought out as magnificent yet surrounded by a “ghastly” situation. The moon is bright yet phantom-like. Therefore, by using the image of a mother busting with radiance, the narrator brings out the two aspects of sadness and hope. Connotations and denotations are also used by the narrator in this melancholic poem. The word dirge is synonymous to the sadness that is brought out in mourning songs. This word is used to bring out the cheerlessness that the narrator is going through. Therefore, the title of the poem is relevant to the emotion that the narrator brings out. “Up from the east, the silvery round, beautiful over the roof tops”, is used in the poem as the feeling of the dazzle that comes with the moon is brought out. The other emotion that comes with the moon in mind is that of ghosts or phantasm. “….from the finished Sabbath”, is seen to mean the end of the week for some. The mention of Sabbath brings out the feeling of the end of a period and the beginning of another. Here, the narrator expresses the need to start over despite the fact that the two veterans are no longer alive. Metaphors are also brought out in the dirge. “Tis some mother’s transparent face, In heaven brighter glowing.” The comparison in this line is brought out in the sense that a mother is bright and charming. Her thoughts and feelings are always put to the open. This radiates some brilliance that is transparent and equated to that of the moon. When looked through, the moon appears somewhat transparent. There are vague elements that can be made out in its core. The intensity of the nature of the moon is almost similar to the nature in which a mother radiates with thoughts. Similes make comparisons between two things. This is facilitated by the use of “as” and “like”. The narrator speaks of the sad procession saying, “All the channels ….they’re flooding, as with voices and with tears.” Here, the narrator compares the many people mourning in the streets with tears and voices. Just like tears flow, these people are also feeling the city. Wailing out of mourning the veterans is brought out by this sad procession. Conclusion The dirge is a vivid expression of the narrators pain following the death of people he considers heroes. The styles employed bring out the poignant feeling that the narrator is going through. References Whitman, Walt (1900). "Dirge for the two Veterans." Leaves of Grass. 1 (Whitman n.d.) Read More