Part one of term paper
Like most of the unprepared, naive Americans who believed the Civil War would consist of a few short battles and little casualties, who then after the war reached it's second year truly saw the Civil War for what it really was- the bloodiest in America's history; Walt Whitman's "Drum Taps" represents this ideal from start to finish. From th ...

Part two of term paper
... is the best example of the author looking back upon his own initial opinions of the war, while stationed at a field hospital carrying his latest and final thoughts regarding what he held as an unnecessary encounter. However, to understand the contrasts between his first, then ultimately conclusive belief, one must delve into his earlier works. In the first poem of "Drum Taps", "First O Songs For A Prelude" the poem indicates to the reader that Whitman is staunchly enthusiastic towa ...