I'm having trouble understanding the theme and its part in bringing the country togethere.?

The poem is Aftermath by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:



When the summer fields are mown,

When the birds are fledged and flown,

And the dry leaves strew the path;

With the falling of the snow,

With the cawing of the crow,

Once again the fields we mow

And gather in the aftermath.

Not the sweet, new grass with flowers

Is this harvesting of ours;

Not the upland clover bloom;

But the rowen mixed with weeds,

Tangled tufts from marsh and meads,

Where the poppy drops its seeds

In the silence and the gloom.

I'm having trouble understanding the theme and its part in bringing the country togethere.?
I'm not sure of the date of this poem; does it refer to the Aftermath of the Civil War: the theme is that as a young nation America was full of hope and promise, much like the fresh hay of early summer; after the Civil War, the American people were divided with regard to "punishing" the Confederate states or work together to rebuild the nation ...

Would this poem have helped people of the nation to work together to look forward to a new beginning when once again there would be "sweet, new grass with flowers" for all?
Reply:what makes you think that this country is devided? If it is and you think that poem is going to bring it together..then either you take poetry too seriously or you take yourself too seriously. I have seen many things take place in the years that I have been alive.. there were times that I felt the place was going to hell in a hand basket, but each time, it worked itself out. Each time a man such as Ronald Reagon came along and fixed the mess that Jimmy Carter created. Jimmy Carter was elected to one term because people bought into his ideas. He was very much like the democrats of today. Weak, wishy washy and no clue as to what the underlying fiber of this country is made of. Reagon knew and we trusted him.. the same thing will happen again, someone will come along that really has his head on straight and this mush of a congress will strengthen and so will this country.. there is no division..just poor leadership..
Reply:Have no idea of its TRUE meaning. My interpretation is cycle of life is like the seasons which will will have the unpleasant with the pleasant.
Reply:Deep, too deep. Can't go there. RScott