With the help of the following points, write a poetic appreciation of the
poem "Song of the Open Road'.
• About the poem / poet and the title
• The theme
• Poetic style
Answers
Explanation:
The speaker of the poem is describing a trip on which he is embarking. He describes himself as being “healthy and free,” and he realizes he is the only person who is in complete control of his life; he chooses his own destiny. Because of this realization, he does not have to wish or hope or pray for good fortune. He attests that he, himself, is his own good fortune, and that is all he needs. There is nothing that he is lacking. He will reach his destination on his own, and the earth will provide him with anything extra that is necessary. This is not to say that the road he is taking is not paved with imperfections and burdens. Rather than worry, however, the speaker has decided to take those burdens with him and deal with them as they arise.
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Poem Analysis
Analysis of Song of the Open Road
Whitman separates his poem into four separate stanzas. With the exception of the first stanza, which contains only three lines, the other stanzas contain four lines of verse. The poem utilizes free verse; the lines are unrhymed and of varying lengths. Song of the Open Road is told from a first person point of view, and the speaker, perhaps Whitman, knows himself very well.
Stanza One
In the first stanza, the speaker begins his journey. Whitman writes:
Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.”
From this stanza, the reader is able to glean several important points: first, the speaker is setting out on the open road on foot. Secondly, he is light-hearted and open to all he is about to experience. Additionally, the speaker recognizes that it is he who is in control of his journey. He will choose where the path will take him on his journey.
Stanza Two
The second stanza continues the thoughts expressed in the first three lines. Whitman writes:
Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune
Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,
Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,
Strong and content, I travel the open road.
The speaker says that he does not have to pray for good luck because he is the maker of his own luck. He will no longer cry or hesitate to do what he wants because he is in need of nothing. He is no longer content with being walled inside; he is strong and happy to be on the open road. In line six, Whitman writes of “querulous criticisms.” The use of alliteration here emphasizes the speaker’s carefree tone, which is continued throughout the course of Song of the Open Road.
Stanza Three
In the third stanza, Whitman makes reference to the earth and stars. He writes:
The earth, that is sufficient,
I do not want the constellations any nearer,
I know they are very well where they are,
I know they suffice for those who belong to them.
Here, the speaker seems to separate himself from others. He says the earth is fine the way it is; he does not desire to be any closer to the stars than he already is. He knows they are fine where they are, and he knows they are good enough for those who belong to them. This last line is in strong contrast to the rest of the poem, where the speaker emphasizes his free will and independence, which means he probably does not include himself in the group of people who belong to the constellations. He does not belong to them because he does not need them.
Stanza Four
The fourth stanza is physically separated from the rest of the poem by Whitman’s use of parentheses. He writes:
(Still I carry my old delicious burdens,
I carry them, men and women, I carry them with me wherever I go,
I swear it is impossible for me to get rid of them,
I am fill’d with them, and I will fill them in return.)
Whitman’s use of parentheses here makes the stanza more of an aside than its own separate being; it is almost an afterthought that the speaker decides to throw in, but it is still important to Song of the Open Road. Here, the speaker admits that he is not without his own problems, but instead of fretting, he relishes them. The reader can see this through Whitman’s diction. His use of the word delicious is no accident; through that word, Whitman conveys the sense of relish the speaker feels for his burden. In the second line of the final stanza, the speaker admits to all that he carries them with him wherever he goes; this thought is continued in the final two lines of the poem. The speaker declares that he cannot rid himself of them; instead, he and his burdens share a symbiotic relationship of sorts: he is filled with his burdens, and in return, he fills them. The speaker is stating here that his burdens do not define him;
Answer:
The Song of the Open Road' by American poet, Walt Whitman is about optimism, energy and confidence. The world offers opportunities to anyone who wants to use them.
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Walt Whitman's works were a powerful influence on other writers.
The poet himself struggled as a child of twelve. He dropped out of school to take up some job to help the family income. He worked as lawyer's assistant, printer's assistant, as a teacher and journalist. He helped look after the wounded in the American Civil War.
The poem says 'open' road. It is about freedom. The poet wants to go out from restrictions and comforts.
The poet wants to be self-reliant. He is confident. The poem is in free verse. There are many poetic devices but no metre or rhyme. We immediately notice repetition. There is also Transferred epithet.
The poem is a dramatic monologue.
The poem inspires us to explore the world using our abilities. Comfort, complaints, criticisms and fate are not excuses for one's inaction.
