Peace is a popular theme in literature, and poems about peace often represent the universal longing for a world with more love and less violence. The poem "Peace" by Walt Whitman is a touching ode to the peace we all wish for.
In this poem, Whitman makes frequent reference to the battles of war, lamenting the senselessness of conflict and hoping for a more peaceful future. He speaks of the world as a beautiful, living being that is scarred by pain and strife and dreams of a future where it can find peace and rest. The poem is highly symbolic in nature, with Whitman as a narrator speaking from a deep place of compassion and longing for peace.
The poem reflects on humanity's tendency towards violence and destructiveness and emotions of guilt for the suffering and pain it causes. He questions why peace and love are so hard to come by and why the world appears to be so filled with hatred and despair. While the world is imperfect and flawed, Whitman expresses the hope that it can ascend to something better if we work together to make it happen.
Ultimately, the poem is an appeal for unity, for everyone to come together and cherish peace, love, and understanding before it's too late. Humans are presented as fragile beings capable of great good or great wrong and it presents a reminder to us of the power that we possess to make the world a better place.
Whether we take Whitman's call to action is up to us, but his poem serves as a powerful reminder of the beauty of peace and the tragedy of war.
Link to the poem:
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/peace-0