FEINBERG/WHITMAN LITERARY FILE POETRY FILE "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." A.MS. notes. (1865-66) Box 30 Folder 30 See also POETRY FILE "Beat! Beat! Drums!" (1865). A.MS. draft. (DCN26). Box 26 [*605*] Notebook on Birds. A.MS. (10p. 10½ x 6½ cms.) Written in pencil in a tiny homemade notebook, with rough edges, 131 words in all: [.] Hermit Thrush Solitary Thrush ------ moderate sized grayish brown bird ------ sings oftener after sundown sometimes quite in the night -------------------- is very secluded ------ likes shaded, dark places [2] [blank] [3] --his song is a hymn --real seriously sweet--in earnest --- the mocking bird is a wonderful intellectual music [4] in swamps-- is very shy ------ [ ] sings in May & June-- --- not much after June ------ is our best songster [*[?]*] ------ song clear & deliberate--has a solemn effect [5] --it is rare --only those that [over] frequent the deep remote dark woods hear it-- (how different from the domestic[?] English nightingale [6]--it is perhaps all the more precious, because it is only sung in secluded places-- he never sings -in- near the farm houses--never [7]in the settlement --is the bird of the solemn primal woods & of Nature pure & holy-- [8] [blank] [9] [blank] [10] [blank] 1865 WHEN LILACS LAST IN THE DOORYARD BLOOM'D (Memories of President Lincoln) Whitman's manuscript notes on the "Hermit Thrush." It is interesting to see how Whitman used the words of his notes throughout this poem. A. C. Swinburne called this poem, "The most sweet and sonorous nocturn ever chanted in the church of the world." Hermit Thrush Solitary Thrush -- Moderate sized grayish brown bird -- sings oftimes after sundown sometimes quite in the night. -- is very secluded -- likes shaded dark places in swamps-- -- is very shy -- sings in May and June- -- not much after June ---------- is our best songster -- song clear and deliberate--has a solemn effect --it is perhaps all the more precious because it is only sung in secluded places--he never sings [in] near the farm houses--never in the settlements --is the bird of the solemn primal [w????] and of Nature pure and holy-- -his song is a hymn -real, seriously[?] sweet-in earnest — the mocking bird is a wonderful intellectual music -it is rare -only those that frequent the deep remote dark woods hear it- (how different from the domestic English nightingale) Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.