write a critical appreciation of the poem 'animals ' by Walt Whitman . Dipping in view about the romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and William Wordsworth.
Answers
In the poem 'Animals' by Walt Whitman, the poet describes the simple nature of the animals.
He admires their modesty and says that the quality is missing in humans.
The poet is really moved by their selfless nature and their disinterest in all earthly desires and the absence of lust for materials, makes his want to live with the animals.
Walt Whitman romanticizes this simplicity and that is where there is a link between him and Rousseau and William Wordsworth.
In this poem Walt Whitman has perosnified animals as human beings declaring how they are better than the human society.
He uses admiration for the qualities found in animals and praises their patience, self respect, humility, contentment etc.
He ends it in an interesting way wondering whether he was born as an animal thousand years ago.
This is completely opposite to the trend of romantic literature started by Rousseau and Wordsworth.
They wrote poems based on themes of love, friendship, betrayal and separation.