The Artilleryman's Vision, By Walt Whitman

Nineteenth century poet Walt Whitman lived and wrote in a fascinating time period and changed the literary world, all while experiencing a unique American war first hand. A humanitarian as well as a writer, Whitman volunteered as a nurse during the Civil War where he experienced the horrors of mortality, yet felt spiritually content afterwards as well. His frequent interactions with the wounded and sick would further alter his poetry and life, in a way where he would be able to cope with his time spent among the battle. Traumatized by the aftermath of the brutal war, Whitman used his writing as a reflection of his mind and life as his involvement in both the depravity and nobility of human existence absorbed into every aspect of his spirit.

Whitman starts off his poem with a peaceful tone to it, using words like “slumbering”, “stillness”, and “infant” to describe the serenity and trance the narrator is in (Source 2). However, there is a shift of mood four lines into the poem; the narrator begins to have flashbacks from the horrific battles. Whitman creates illustrations of the chaos of war, using phrases such as “cashing and smoking”, “suffocating smoke”, and “devilish exultation” to describe the hellish experiences the narrator is haunted by (Source 2). Whitman’s diction and stylistic choices also detail an ironic response to the tragedy of war. In line nineteen, he uses a parenthetical statement “(some special success)” to mock the applause from the soldiers for slaughtering their enemies. This use of irony evokes a form of resentment towards the war from the narrator, as he looks back on his experiences and realizes how barbaric war truly is. “The Artilleryman’s Vision” is a short reflection, albeit powerful, to the mind of Whitman himself. Although Whitman never particularly went into battle, his contact with the injuries and deaths of those who did, especially his own brother, took a personalized toll on him. With this effect, Whitman’s poem, and many others, became a way to turn the nightmare he lived through into something