Walt Whitman's Adieu to a Soldier is the exploration of himself and a soldier fighting on opposite sides of a war. The poem portrays Whitman as being the perserverant soldier contrary to his fellow comrade fighting in the trenches. Through ambushes, muddy roads, and many crises the soldiers trudge on for the good of their country. The speaker is a soldier himself talking about his experiences on the "Opposing fronts", and "Red [bloody] battles (line 3,4)." This poem is a dedication to the warriors on the front lines their battle heroines of their nation.

The poem is about the life of a soldier and Whitman's personal "marching" through life. A "rapid march" and "long maneuvers" throughout "untried roads (line 3,12)." Whitman talks about how the soldiers have a day-to-day struggle in the areas they fight in. Whitman also talks about how he the [more warlike (line 8)] soldier with his "contentious soul (line 10)" still "campaigns (line 11)" marching ever on to his "victory."

The poem is about how both he and the soldier are battling on in their worlds and how he, going through all of a soldiers struggles, has more perseverance and will succeed in his will. Whitman comments on how the soldiers mission is "fulfill'd (line 9) after the war but his duty is still "Ever marching on (line 14)" through his urge to be more "warlike (line 9)." Whitman throughout this entire passage is portraying himself as an individual who has more "drive" and has more motivation than the common soldier. Whitman says that war takes "all brave and manly hearts (line 6)" saying essentially that he is braver and mightier than the "brave and mighty hearts." Through his want to proclaim his perseverance Whitman creates this poem to proclaim his will to fight, the will that exceeds brave men and soldierly men.

-source is the poem, that's where i get my quotes from-