In the line "O singer bashful and tender, I hear your notes, I hear your call" from Walt Whitman's "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd," the speaker addresses the "singer" as a symbol of both mourning and beauty. The adjectives "bashful" and "tender" evoke a sense of vulnerability and fragility, suggesting that the song of the singer—likely representing Abraham Lincoln or a broader embodiment of loss—is both poignant and gentle. This duality reflects the complexities of grief, where the beauty of memory intertwines with sorrow. The repetition of "I hear" emphasizes the speaker’s deep connection to this voice, suggesting that the act of listening becomes an essential part of processing grief. This line encapsulates the overarching theme of the poem: the interplay between loss and the enduring power of remembrance. In a world marked by violence and tragedy, the tender notes serve as a reminder of the beauty that persists even amidst profound sorrow.

This line shows a deep amount of emotion, as all the people around are experiencing the immediate emotional impact of death right before them. When Dickinson says "wrung them dry" it eludes to all of the surrounding people being filled with sorrow and grief while they painfully watch their beloved die. This line transforms and sets the stage for what reality looks like outside of the characters mind.