This shows that though the nation is happy that the war is won and over, they will not forget the efforts that Lincoln put into the war as a leader. Even today the US still acknowledges what he did for America and looks upon his death with deep sorrow.

This word choice conveys how shocked the nation was by Lincoln's assassination; the only place it was fathomable was in a dream or nightmare where the imagination can run wild.

This shows that the journey (the Civil War) was not easy, which makes President Lincoln an even greater leader because he was able to lead the union out of the war and into victory.

This is used to show that the speaker has a sense of security, much like one that a wealthy person with oil on their property would.

I feel like this poem is talking about segregation or a separation of things, and I find it very interesting how throughout the whole poem there is heavy use of rhyme, slant rhyme, and alliteration. These literary elements seek to unite the text, while the meaning of the text is about division.

All of the comparisons of nature used are things that change throughout the day or with the seasons, which to me goes with the idea that life is just a season. This could be a reason the speaker declares people not to mourn because they know that new life will enter the world with their passing.

These different states of the head seem like a symbol for his position. "My head is bloody" shows that he has had his struggles avoiding the depressing feelings of the blackness and the symbol of the pit in the first stanza. However, "but unbowed" shows that he has not surrendered to these forces and emotions, as bowing your head is a symbol of defeat.

I feel like this poem could have a religious connotation. A large part of Christianity is having faith in a God that you cannot see, and yet that does not stop people from believing in Him. Kinsolving could be communicating that God is like all the animals listed in this poem, and just because we cannot see Him does not mean that He is not there.