Elegy - Kyle Luo

The Death of Lincoln BY WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT Oh, slow to smite and swift to spare, Gentle and merciful and just! Who, in the fear of God, didst bear The sword of power, a nation’s trust! In sorrow by thy bier we stand, Amid the awe that hushes all, And speak the anguish of a land That shook with horror at thy fall. Thy task is done; the bond are free: We bear thee to an honored grave, Whose proudest monument shall be The broken fetters of the slave. Pure was thy life; its bloody close Hath placed thee with the sons of light, Among the noble host of those Who perished in the cause of Right. Bryant, William. "The Death of Lincoln." Poetry Foundation. Web. 24 Sept. 2014. This is a pretty traditional elegy in the sense that it follows the three elements of an elegy. The first stage of an elegy is where the poet expresses grief for a tragic event, usually a death. This is extremely evident in the last two lines of the second stanza: "And speak the anguish of a land that shook with horror at thy fall." The second stage of an elegy is praise and admiration for the dead, which Bryant utilizes when he mentions the Lincoln's most famous accomplishment which was the abolition of slavery. An elegy usually finishes on a lighter note which is characterized by comfort and solace, which is the main gist of the last stanza with phrases like "Pure was thy life" which placed Lincoln "with the sons of light".