Lincoln and Whitman Reader’s Guide
By Daniel Mark Epstein
READERS GUIDE
Questions and Topics for Discussion
1. In what way are Lincoln and Whitman’s views of democracy similar?
2. How did Whitman influence Lincoln’s oration?
3. Tending to wounded soldiers in Washington had a profound affect on Whitman. How did the War for the Union affect his sense of individualism?
4. Did his sense of collective patriotism win out over his spirit of individualism?
5. Who has left a more profound legacy on America, Lincoln or Whitman?
6. Lincoln wrote all of his own speeches and relied on public speechmaking as a means of conveying his political ideology. How has technology and media changed the way we perceive our politicians and their political ideals today?
From the Hardcover edition.
