To a Certain Civilian

Question

by Walt Whitman

Did you ask dulcet rhymes from me?
Did you seek the civilian’s peaceful and languishing rhymes?
Did you find what I sang erewhile so hard to follow?
Why I was not singing erewhile for you to follow, to understand—nor am I now;

1 of 3
Question
Use the poem to answer the question.

This poem was written in 1865 and first published in a volume of poetry called Drum-Taps. How does the context of the Civil War affect the meaning of the poem’s first two lines?

(1 point)
Responses

The speaker explains to the reader why peaceful poetry does not fit the topic of war.
The speaker explains to the reader why peaceful poetry does not fit the topic of war.

The speaker encourages people to see that poetry can bring solace to those involved in the war.
The speaker encourages people to see that poetry can bring solace to those involved in the war.

The speaker responds to someone, likely not involved in the war, who likes serene poetry.
The speaker responds to someone, likely not involved in the war, who likes serene poetry.

The speaker talks directly to the reader to defend the pointlessness of war poetry that rhymes.

Answer 1

The best response to how the context of the Civil War affects the meaning of the poem's first two lines is:

The speaker responds to someone, likely not involved in the war, who likes serene poetry.

This interpretation aligns with the idea that the speaker is addressing a reader who seeks the traditional, peaceful verses of a civilian poet, contrasting with the harsh realities of war that demand a different approach to poetry. The Civil War's context emphasizes the disconnect between the peaceful desires of the civilian audience and the tumultuous experiences of those involved in the war.