Beginning of Essay
Like most of the unprepared, naive Americans who believed the Civil War would consist of a few short battles and little casualties, who then after the war reached it's second year truly saw the Civil War for what it really was- the bloodiest in America's history; ....

Middle of Essay
.... In the first poem of "Drum Taps", "First O Songs For A Prelude" the poem indicates to the reader that Whitman is staunchly enthusiastic towards the first battle: The tumultuous escort, the ranks of policemen preceding, clearing the way, The unpent enthusiasm, the wild cheers of the crowd for their favorites…War! Be it weeks, months, or years, an arm'd race is advancing to welcome it. As we can see, like most Americans, Whitman was proud of the engagements to come because at the time, war was only viewed by those who had never seen the ugly side of it. Like a diary of prose, "Drum Taps" follows the war and the attitudes that accompany such ....