I find I am really enjoying this poem. I feel positive when I read it, like Whitman was happy.
In section 4 he starts out with motion. I still really think movement is prominent in this poem. He says, "As a rivulet running, sinking now, and now again to surface rising / A ceaseless thought, a varied train--lo, soul, to thee, thy sight, they rise" He's talking about history and exploration. I think he sees life as a bumpy road with ups and downs.
In section 5 he begins by saying, "O vast Rondure, swimming in space" I looked up the word rondure and it says gracefully rounded curvature. I think he's talking about the curvature of the earth. He's also talking about the next step,like we've explored, made a new nation - what's next, and he says, "Finally shall come the poet worthy that name / The true son of God shall come singing his songs." Then he says, "Nature and man shall be disjoin'd and diffused no more / The true son of God shall absolutely fuse them. I used to get really upset with how Whitman references God in his poetry, but in this poem I think he had good intentions. I believe he was actually trying to unite the world and spread the message of God--love with save us all.
In section 6 he is still talking unification and what an accomplishment it would have been if his poetry would have inspired it. I like this line, "Curious in time I stand, noting the efforts of heroes." I feel in this poem he sings the praises of many. The last verse of section 6 has me stumped. What does it mean? Is Whitman talking of the dead in the ground creating the beauty of nature? I'm not sure.
I still see Passage to India as a sort of dream - and a tribute.
No comments:
Post a Comment