Skip to main content

What are some similarities and differences between the poems: "When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer," "O Captain! My Captain!," and "I Hear...

One the face of it, these would seem to be very different poems. “Astronomer” is a poem about how nature and intuition is superior to academic knowledge; “I Hear America Singing” is a celebration of American labor, a poem in which Whitman embraces the everyday; “O Captain” of course is the famous elegy for Abraham Lincoln, represented by the beloved captain, who, after guiding the “ship” of the United States through the storm, has fallen...

One the face of it, these would seem to be very different poems. “Astronomer” is a poem about how nature and intuition is superior to academic knowledge; “I Hear America Singing” is a celebration of American labor, a poem in which Whitman embraces the everyday; “O Captain” of course is the famous elegy for Abraham Lincoln, represented by the beloved captain, who, after guiding the “ship” of the United States through the storm, has fallen before the victory can be celebrated. The tones of the poems are very different as well. In “Astronomer” the poet is “tired and sick” until he is revitalized by the open sky; in “I Hear” he is enthusiastic and celebratory; in “O Captain,” he is passionate and mournful.


As far as similarities go, I think voice and method are two elements that connect them. Different as they are, they are all unmistakably “Whitmanian.” By that I mean that they all share a certain conception of the relationship of the poet to his subject, which can be said to be “inclusive,” I guess. The poet is both part of the subject, and greater than it; he is both personal (Walt, an individual attending an astronomy lecture) and collective (an omniscient poetic “eye,” comprehending all Americans working everywhere), as well as a kind of poetic voice of conscience for the country (in “O Captain, he both plays the grieving son – “My father does not feel my arm” etc. – and, if we understand the poem symbolically, the voice of the grieving nation). 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more