Walt Whitman is regarded as the most revolutionary of poets of American 19th century poetry. He had the distinction of being a pioneer of 19th century American Poetry. He was the spokesman of American masses who represents comprehensively and accurately the ideal and value of America. His ‘Leaves of Grass’, now ranks with the immortal classics of world literature. Emerson admired it,
“The most extraordinary piece of
wit and wisdom, is incomparable
things said incomparably well.”
“I Hear America Singing’ is a
patriotic lyric which the present a sense of multitudinous life of America as
well as the poet’s joy and pride in his motherland. It is taken from ‘Leaves of Grass’ which is filled with
optimism, a sense that America’s humming energy is creating a product of
creativity, utility and dignity.
Title of the poem
In
the all work of English literature, title is always very apt and
suggestive. It always taken from central idea, theme or a hero. The title is a
suitable and indicative which presents idea that the poet hears in imagination
of the varied songs of America, sung by her different people, in different
walks of life. Here ‘singing’ means the rapid development, progress of America.
The Americans are a happy and hardworking people, who take pleasure in their
work and in their life.
Theme of the poem
The
poem presents the picture off America of Whitman’s dream. Individual
contribution makes a complete song though the tunes are different from round
the corner of the country. Each one sings and reflects a genuine joy and makes
up the essence of American dream. Thus a central idea is to sing to glory of
America. We also find ‘Unity of Variety’.
The
poem starts with the praising of America and poem also ended with
praising. This shows deep faith in poet’s heart for his country. In the
beginning of poem, the progress of America seems to like ‘Carols’ to
Whitman. As he says,
“I hear
America singing,
the varied carols I hear,
Here
America is a country of mechanized science and technology. The mechanics are
singing as they work with their ‘blithe’
and ‘strong’. ‘Blithe and strong’ means merry and the regularity
or capacity. The carpenter is doing the work as he measures his plank. The
mason is also devoted to his duty. The sailor’s and Deckhand’s job is very
risky. They go far in the sea with sincerity.
The shoemaker is interested in the
customer. He prepares shoes and polishes them with sincerity. The wood cutter
is from morning to sundown. The hatter is devoted in his work. The poet also
hears the delicious singing of the wife, the mother, and the girl sewing and
washing, all happy and contented with what belongs to them. It seems that they all are deeply satisfied
with the works they have got. No competition jealously is seen. There is
no interpreting in one’s work by the order. As he says,
“Each
singing what belongs to
him or her and to one
else.
Everybody
is doing the work with dignity. The work continues all the time whether it is
morning or noon or at the sundown. Even the night remains busy by friendly
takes and parties. All bodily movements also have become a part. Here we find a
very useful massage,
“Work
while you work, and
play while you play
The
poet described singing of all common men’s works and they do their work
with devotionally. They are not even try to involve each other’s job. They only
gave importance to their job. We find a universal concept of unity or equality
that
“No work
is lower work everybody
should stick to their own work.
Poetic Quality
The
poem is in free verse, there is no division of stanza, regular rhyme
schemes, or rhythm. The free verse style shows the rhythms of American speech
and reflects the American freedom. Thus movement of verse is the sweeping
movement of great currents of living people.
The
poem is marked with ‘omnivorous
long lines’ which convey to the reader a broad, panoramic grasp of
American’s spaciousness, her opulence and her varied multitudinous life. Indeed
it is quite finished and perfect poem.
The
poet has also used alliteration to bring
musicality
The shoemaker
singing as he sits on his bench,
The boatman
singing what belongs to
him in his boat.
Personal
pronoun is also used. ‘I’ shows poet’s own important in poem. Poet also used
metaphorical imagery. In a short as far as poetic style concerned, poem
passed through very nicely. James
Miller remarks about the style of the poem. The poem reveals the use of such standard devices as assonance,
alliteration, repetition, inverse word order, parallelism, and many other.
Conclusion
To
summing up, In ‘I hear America
singing’; Whitman has succeeded in conveying a vivid sense of the varied
life of America, as well as of the comradeship and zest for life of her people.
The character of the poem-American people has been vividly and graphically
sketched within a brief compass. The poem reveals that for the progress of
nation, sorely common people involved in it:
“The progress of nation is not
a
privilege of the one person.”
In
short, the whole range of American physical scenes is brought to us through the
poem. 
No comments:
Post a Comment