Describing a procession of a funeral with two soldiers, this poem is relatively not as dark, as it is simply solemn. The choice of diction for this poem is particularly powerful in describing the scenery and sounds of the procession in an otherwise silent night. Whitman seems to relate the moonlight to the heaven having a presence with the funeral (Whitman, 246). The bugles act as the past, representing warfare, while the moon appears to symbolize the results of warfare and the destination of these soldiers from a religious standpoint. This solemn theme connects to the Wyeth’s darker autobiography, but the presence of a dark and solemn theme in the first place must be noted. Marten notes the haunting feelings that some soldiers may experience as a reaction to the war, such as the young solider from Arkansas whose brother died by disease (Marten, 48). The haunting imagery and solemn tones seem to reflect the emotions and perceptions some had towards the