Civil War Poets?

[Crimea Vet]

If ever there was a poet whose works epitomised the lot of the British Soldier of the Victorian period it was Rudyard Kipling, was there an American poet whose work was similarly viewed as being representative of the American war?

 

[Cavalry Charger]

If ever there was a poet whose works epitomised the lot of the British Soldier of the Victorian period it was Rudyard Kipling, was there an American poet whose work was similarly viewed as being representative of the American war?

I would suggest Walt Whitman as being one. I took a course with the University of Iowa titled: Whitman's Civil War: Imaging Loss, Death and Disaster which looked at Whitman's poetry. It focused on how his poetry evoked the realities of the war, the sense of carnage and loss. He was very closely associated with the sick and dying, offering what support he could to them in the hospitals, and was deeply moved by their suffering, as well as the suffering produced in general by war.

'Drum-Taps is a collection of poetry by American poet Walt Whitman. The book, which was written during the American Civil War, was first published in 1865.

An essential companion to reading Drum-Taps is Whitman's autobiographical memoir, Specimen Days. This part of Whitman's work recounts his everyday experiences and the effect they had on his psyche. Relating mostly with the middle section of Drum-Taps, it reveals how the dominant metaphor for the war is a hospital, filled with wounded men who need treatment and dying men who need to be comforted.'

(Taken from 'Drum Taps' - Wikipedia)

 

[Crimea Vet]

I would suggest Walt Whitman as being one. I took a course with the University of Iowa titled: Whitman's Civil War: Imaging Loss, Death and Disaster which looked at Whitman's poetry. It focused on how his poetry evoked the realities of the war, the sense of carnage and loss. He was very closely associated with the sick and dying, offering what support he ould to them in the hospitals, and was deeply moved by their suffering, as well as the suffering produced in general by war.

'Drum-Taps is a collection of poetry by American poet Walt Whitman. The book, which was written during the American Civil War, was first published in 1865.

An essential companion to reading Drum-Taps is Whitman's autobiographical memoir, Specimen Days. This part of Whitman's work recounts his everyday experiences and the effect they had on his psyche. Relating mostly with the middle section of Drum-Taps, it reveals how the dominant metaphor for the war is a hospital, filled with wounded men who need treatment and dying men who need to be comforted.'

(Taken from 'Drum Taps' - Wikipedia)

Thank you Cavalry Charger, I shall make a point of reading that.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Here's another resource that gives a number of different poets to consider:

https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lcpoetry/cwvc.html

The following poem is also a standout for me:

http://civilwarpoetry.org/confederate/postwar/banner.html

Summary:

Written by "Moina," the pseudonym of Abram Joseph Ryan, who was born in Maryland and spent part of his childhood in Virginia. He served as a chaplain during the Civil War, and his war poetry quickly led to him becoming known as the "poet-priest of the South." The night he found out that Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, he wrote the poem "The Conquered Banner," a memorial to the South's failed efforts in the war.

 

[Crimea Vet]

Thank you Cavalry Charger, "The Conquered Banner" is most moving.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Thank you Cavalry Charger, "The Conquered Banner" is most moving.

I think so, too.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Boy, I don't know. Agree, Whitman, for a comprehensive collection by someone who watched men die. Much is made of his rushing out into the column, as men left for war, and embracing them- as if it were somehow telling. It's looked at all wrong. Opinion only, seems to me Whitman knew he was looking at dead men and couldn't stand it.

If you're looking for poems on the war for your own purposes, really cannot do better than pull up era newspapers. It takes almost no searching to find an unknown author's poem on the war. Hundreds of them, not hugely patriotic, just full of pathos, really. Tough reading.

 

[5fish]

Herman Melville wrote poetry about civil war as well...

Here is a paper on Herman's civil war poems...

http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/319749/1/AZU_TD_BOX26_E9791_1964_89.pdf

Here is Herman's civil war book of poems " Battle-Peices and Aspects of the War" broken down by poems...

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12384/12384-h/12384-h.htm

 

[5fish]

Do not forget the other side had poets as well: Henry Timrod call the Poet Laureate of the Confederacy... I think he is forgotten too because he was on the losing side...

Here is Henry's book of poems published after his death in 1867 again broken down by poems...

http://docsouth.unc.edu/southlit/timrod/timrod.html#timr71

 

[Crimea Vet]

Herman Melville wrote poetry about civil war as well...

Here is a paper on Herman's civil war poems...

http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/319749/1/AZU_TD_BOX26_E9791_1964_89.pdf

Here is Herman's civil war book of poems " Battle-Peices and Aspects of the War" broken down by poems...

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/12384/12384-h/12384-h.htm

Thank you 5fish, some very interesting stuff here from Herman Melville.

 

[Cavalry Charger]

Opinion only, seems to me Whitman knew he was looking at dead men and couldn't stand it.

Opinion only...agreed.

 

[chucksr]

There is Bierce and William Lytle

 

[donna]

There are many great poets from the war. I brought two older threads, thought many might enjoy reading.

 

[Northern Light]

I would suggest Walt Whitman as being one. I took a course with the University of Iowa titled: Whitman's Civil War: Imaging Loss, Death and Disaster which looked at Whitman's poetry. It focused on how his poetry evoked the realities of the war, the sense of carnage and loss. He was very closely associated with the sick and dying, offering what support he could to them in the hospitals, and was deeply moved by their suffering, as well as the suffering produced in general by war.

'Drum-Taps is a collection of poetry by American poet Walt Whitman. The book, which was written during the American Civil War, was first published in 1865.

An essential companion to reading Drum-Taps is Whitman's autobiographical memoir, Specimen Days. This part of Whitman's work recounts his everyday experiences and the effect they had on his psyche. Relating mostly with the middle section of Drum-Taps, it reveals how the dominant metaphor for the war is a hospital, filled with wounded men who need treatment and dying men who need to be comforted.'

(Taken from 'Drum Taps' - Wikipedia)

Whitman was my first thought , as well.

 

[Redcoat]

Emily Dickinson

 

[5fish]

Emily Dickinson

She had a odd relationship with civil war poetry...

Because it is the very nature of Dickinson's poems to have a range of possible references, it is difficult to say whether a particular poem was inspired by the war.

https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/civil_war