How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love. (4-6)
From the very beginning, we sense the inspiration for this poem that revolves around the thought of Lincoln. The speaker's love and admiration for the former president is symbolized in that "drooping star in the west" as it hangs over the country in a kind of mourning and empathy for the nation's woe.
Quote #2
O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?
And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone?
And what shall my perfume be for the grave of him I love? (71-73)
The speaker struggles to find the right "song" to praise the one he loves and admires so much. No words and no perfume can sufficiently honor the memory of such a "large sweet soul." So we understand that, with such a profound sense of admiration and love, it's often difficult to find the right way to celebrate the loss of a loved one. The speaker struggles to find the right "song" to praise the one he loves and admires so much. No words and no perfume can sufficiently honor the memory of such a "large sweet soul." So we understand that, with such a profound sense of admiration and love, it's often difficult to find the right way to celebrate the loss of a loved one.
Quote #3
Lo, body and soul—this land,
My own Manhattan with spires, and the sparkling and hurrying tides, and the ships,
The varied and ample land, the South and the North in the light, Ohio's shores and flashing Missouri,
And ever the far-spreading prairies cover'd with grass and corn. (89-92)
It's not just about the speaker's admiration of Lincoln that drives this elegy. It's also his admiration of America as a whole and the nation's "varied and ample land" that the speaker is so enamored by. We see virtually every corner from coast to coast celebrated for its energy and spirit that perseveres and flourishes, no matter what.