<P> Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated and his death had a long - lasting emotional impact upon the United States . Over the three weeks after his death, millions of Americans participated in a nationwide public pageant of grief, including a state funeral, and the 1,700 - mile (2,700 km) westward journey of the funeral train from Washington, through New York, to Springfield, Illinois . </P> <P> Lincoln's public funeral in Washington was held on April 19, 1865 . Some biographies indicate that Whitman journeyed to Washington to attend the funeral and possibly observed Lincoln's body during the viewing held in the East Room of the White House . Whitman biographer Jerome Loving believes that Whitman did not attend the public ceremonies for Lincoln in Washington as he did not leave Brooklyn for the nation's capital until April 21 . Likewise, Whitman could not have attended ceremonies held in New York after the arrival of the funeral train, as they were observed on April 24 . Loving thus suggests that Whitman's descriptions of the funeral procession, public events and the long train journey may have been "based on second - hand information". He does accede that Whitman in his journey from New York to Washington may have passed the Lincoln funeral train on its way to New York--possibly in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . </P> <P> On April 1, 1865, Whitman had signed a contract with Brooklyn printer Peter Eckler to publish Drum - Taps, a 72 - page collection of 43 poems in which Whitman addressed the emotional experiences of the Civil War . Drum - Taps was being printed at the time of Lincoln's assassination two weeks later . Upon learning of the president's death, Whitman delayed the printing to insert a quickly - written poem, "Hush'd Be the Camps To - Day", into the collection . The poem's subtitle indicates it was written on April 19, 1865--four days after Lincoln's death . Whitman intended to supplement Drum - Taps with several additional Civil War poems and a handful of new poems mourning Lincoln's death that he had written between April and June 1865 . </P> <P> Upon returning to Washington, Whitman contracted with Gibson Brothers to publish a pamphlet of eighteen poems that included two works directly addressing the assassination--"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" and "O Captain! My Captain!". He intended to include the pamphlet with copies of Drum - Taps . The 24 - page collection was titled Sequel to Drum - Taps and bore the subtitle When Lilacs Last in the Door - Yard Bloom'd and other poems . The title poem filled the first nine pages . In October, after the pamphlet was printed, he returned to Brooklyn to have them integrated with Drum - Taps . </P>

Whitman when lilacs last in the dooryard bloom analysis