A wonderful poem, easily read, easily listened to, and easily committed to memory (as was required of legions of schoolboys in my day).  But to really appreciate both Whitman’s genius and his deep appreciation for the greatness of Lincoln, one should steel oneself for a disciplined, undistracted reading of “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed”, Whitman’s larger work on the Lincoln theme.  I have a great fondness for lilacs and, where I live, they generally bloom near the anniversary of Lincoln’s death.  I try to find some quiet time to sit near my lilacs and read through that poem each April near the anniversary of the week that saw both the events of Appomattox and Mr. Lincoln’s tragic murder.  If anyone is curious about the poem, don’t wait for the lilacs next blooming.  Pull it out of your dusty anthologies and read it now.