Drum-Taps
by Walt Whitman
- First published
- 1865
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Drum-Taps" by Walt Whitman is a poetry collection published in May 1865. Born from Whitman's experiences tending wounded soldiers during the American Civil War, these poems capture both patriotic fervor and the brutal realities of battle. Written "by fits and starts, on the field, in the hospitals," the collection reflects the poet's profound transformation through years of caring for casualties. A sequel followed months later, including the famous Lincoln elegy "O Captain! My Captain!"
- War poetry, American
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #8801. Drum-Taps on Wikipedia.
