The Nation as One The celebration of a person's death usually begins with a mournful and sorrowful mood. “Celebrating”, perhaps, is a misleading word because in today's society celebration is linked to parties and events of fun and joy. In Walt Whitman's book “When the Lilacs Last in the Yard They Bloom” (“Lilacs”), he describes the “celebration” of Lincoln's death throughout the country. Whitman conveys the dark mood of America after the assassination of their beloved president and the eternal pain that follows ("Lilacs"). The beginning of "Lilacs" focuses on the event of Lincoln's death and how the country handled the news of his death. dear president is no longer here. In the first stanza, Whitman talks about mourning, but he also mentions the rejuvenation of his mourning: “I have cried, and yet I will cry with the return of spring” (27). The pain of the individual who is in the process of crying for Lincoln is clearly visible; he/she not only experiences the strong emotion of death, but also the mentality that Lincoln will not return, making him/her suffer even more. Furthermore, Li's death...