Fans of President Abraham Lincoln and poet Walt Whitman will perform a public reading of Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” in honor of Abraham Lincoln outside the Porter County Courthouse on April 15, 2011, at 12:15 pm.
This public reading of “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” is meant to honor the memory of Abraham Lincoln, widely considered among the handful of most important and consequential U.S. presidents.
Whitman’s poem, an elegy for Lincoln written shortly after his death, expresses grief and a deep appreciation for our 16th president. The reading will also showcase Whitman, one of the country’s most celebrated poets. His several poems in memory of Lincoln form a unique intersection of two towering figures in the story of our nation.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War and April 15 marks the anniversary of the day Lincoln died in 1865.
April is national poetry month, and the reading is meant to be a reminder, reinforcement and celebration of our great political and cultural history.
“Lilacs” is a long poem. The reading may last 15-20 minutes.
For more information, email to bwilliamsvalpo@frontier.com.