Essay on Whitman’s Bivouac on a Mountain Side -- Whitman Bivouac on a

Analysis of Whitmans encampment on a Mountain look First published after state of wards the conclusion of the Civil War in 1865, Walt Whitmans poem encampment on a Mountain positioning portrays more than just the open picture of a transcendentalists vision. The mood of the poem reflects the authors observations and visions of the Civil War while stationed in Washington and Virginia as easy as his beliefs about the war by procedure of vision and symbolism. The use of imagery in Bivouac on a Mountain Side is one of the compelling factors that draws the reader into the poem so that he/she no longer reads what Whitman is writing, but rather sees what he is describing and understands Whitmans place in the war. Different from other Whitman poems, Bivouac on a Mountain Side does not contain the title phrase anywhere in the carcass of the poem, but rather sets the stage for the described scene. Whitmans use of imagery in Bivouac on a Mountain Side provides the priming for sym bolic representation in the poem. In the first melodic phrase of the poem, I see before me now a traveling phalanx feeble, begins the description of a troop that he is observing. Starting with the second line of the poem, Whitman attaches meaning to each of the elements in the poem. A fertile valley spread, with barns and the orchards of pass symbolizes the peaceful stillness of a country that has not been torn by war. In a sense, the second line is used to represent an staring(a) America. However, behind that lies the terraced sides of a mountain, abrupt, in places rising high, broken with rocks, with clinging cedars, and with tall shapes grungily seen (lines 3 and 4). The description of this grand and almost menacing mountain, in line of credit to the val... ...ut first hand observations of the war taking place around him. look deeper into the poem enables the reader to gain Whitmans insight about the soldiers during the war their fear, excitement, and hope. (1) I see b efore me now a traveling army halting (2) Below a fertile valley spread, with barns and the orchards of summer, (3) Behind, the terraced sides of a mountain, abrupt, in places rising high, (4) Broken, with rocks, with clinging cedars, with tall shapes dingily seen, (5) The numerous camp-fires scatterd tightfitting and far, some away up on the mountain, (6) The shadowy forms of men and horses, looming, large-sized, flitter (7) And over all the sky- the sky Far, far out of reach, studded, breaking out, the everlasting(a) stars