Journal 8: The Civil War

William Cullen Bryant’s “The Death of Lincoln” and Mary Boykin Miller Chestnut’s “A Diary From Dixie” point the death of former president Abraham Lincoln in completely different lights.  Bryant’s poem is mournful and grateful to Lincoln for freeing the slaves, while Chestnut’s journal suggests that Lincoln was a tyrant for emancipating the slaves.  These different texts reflect the views of the North and South after the Civil War; the northerners calling Lincoln a hero while the southerners despise him.  Bryant’s American Dream was obviously an abolition inspired dream, which included freedom and equality for all.  Chestnut’s American Dream was a typical southern living: being a true woman and living on a plantation in the south with plenty of slaves.  These dreams colliding together have created conflict throughout history.  Bryant’s poem was more persuasive.  He was able to connect with my emotion through his poetry.  Like I have said before, their opposing views on freedom and slavery would affect their views on these different texts.  Southerners would not agree with Bryant poem because Lincoln did steal their American Dream.  Northerners would feel outraged after reading Chestnut’s diary.  They would disagree with Chestnut’s disrespectful view of Lincoln as a “tyrant.”