Poetry Analysis: "The World is Not a Conclusion", by Emily Dickinson

Analysis of “The World is Not a Conclusion”, by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) shows the fragility of her life and world, as well as her hopes and expectations for the afterlife, in the piece of poetry entitled "This World Is Not a Conclusion".

What is a conclusion then, if it is not this world?

Consider the implications of an invisible Species. Note that the word Species has been capitalized by her, possibly implying some kind of divination. It is amusing in one way, because even in our era, we do not consider human beings invisible, even after death. Maybe it is because we have never thought about life and death that way. God might be perceived as invisible.

Life offers us a Mystery, but death does, too. Where man stands in respect to life and death is a riddle, particularly in the realm of unbelief. Christianity allows us to experience a final reconciliation between the human and Divine realms of existence.

One has to marvel at the musicality of this poem with its remarkable rhythm, even while one chuckles at Dickinson's understanding of how the world perceives the human quest for eternal life.

“The World Is Not Conclusion”, by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

This World is not conclusion,
A Species stands beyond
Invisible, as Music
But positive, as Sound
It beckons, and it baffles
Philosophy, don't know
And through a Riddle, at the last
Sagacity, must go
to guess it, puzzles scholars
To gain it, Men have borne
Contempt of Generations
and Crucifixion, shown
Faith slips and laughs, and rallies
Blushes, if any see
Plucks at a twig of Evidence
And asks a Vane, the way
Much Gesture, from the pulpit
Strong Hallelujahs roll
Narcotics cannot still the tooth
that nibbles at the soul (1)

There is another version of this poem and it is shorter, as it has only twelve lines. It reveals minor differences, that might lead one to suggest that it is an earlier version.

This world is not a conclusion;
A sequel stands beyond,
Invisible, as music,
But positive, as sound.
It beckons and it baffles;
Philosophies don't know,
And through a riddle, at the last,
Sagacity must go.
To guess it puzzles scholars;
To gain it, men have shown
Contempt of generations,
And crucifixion known. (2)

In this version, from Part Four: "Time and Eternity" LXXXIII, (3) there is the use of the word sequel, instead of the word Species. Philosophies is the word that is used instead of Philosophy. Shown replaces the word borne in line ten. Known replaces shown in the line twelve.

One might ask why there are changes. Are these errors or are they part of editing for publication?

In the longer version, perhaps the poet is blushing, because of her own personal, momentary lapse in faith. This is absent in the shorter version.

Obviously, this poetry has been written by a person seeking answers about immortality. Her insight suggests that humankind is trying to find some kind of an answer and even man's best answer is not really the final Answer. What direction is one to go? The directions of a weather vane? Or a Divine Vane? Some Direction beyond the realm of mere nature?

In some ways, Dickinson appears to realize that even the best answer from the pulpit, does not seem to resolve the pain of her own soul. Her reflection reveals her personal metaphysical perception and her expectations about an afterlife. She is seeking comfort or perhaps the Comforter, who she does not know at this time in her life. She is in pain.

Even in our era, most people do not know that they can pray for the Comforter and be comforted. 

"Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find."

The agony of not knowing about life after death remains a riddle, but a divine Riddle, beyond mere human comprehension.

In some ways, it appears that Dickinson is relating to the Crucifixion of Christ and yet, she does not seem to comprehend, that His suffering has taken place, so that she would not have to suffer. It would seem that Music, which might even be heard by her as Divine Music, on a higher level of consciousness, is her one consolation. To her, sound is a positive, but not a capitalized positive, in both of these versions, so it is probably not a Divine Music. She is still in touch with reality.

Note the words that she has put in capital letters. What she has capitalized is Evidence, Vane, Gesture and Hallelujahs in the second part of this poem. One might suggest that she is wanting to perceive these from a higher level of understanding. Numerous words have been capitalized, in the earlier part of the poem. These include World, Species, Music, Sound, Riddle, Men, Generations and Crucifixion. They could all be summarized as a Mystery.

The wisdom of Emily Dickinson's poetry, can only be understood on one's own level of consciousness. Remember that Darwin's Theory of Evolution appears on the horizon of time, in the year 1864. Dickinson only lived another two years after that, if the dates of her life history are correct.

Did Darwin have a concept of invisible man? Probably not!

Are there any more lines to this poem? Perhaps it is not yet finished? Look the format and how it ends. This poem is not a conclusion either.

(1) http://www.plymouth.org/sermons/sermon-dickinson05.htm

(2) http://www.bartleby.com/113/4083.html

(3) Ibid.

Poetry Analysis: "Among the Multitude", by Walt Whitman

Soul Mate: An Analysis of ‘Among the Multitude” by Walt Whitman (1819-1892): 

Who are these men and women that form the multitude of people, in this remarkable piece of poetry? Where is the poet, at this time? Is he living this event in a real time and place or is this a moment of reverie? Has this been written in the genre of a memoir or a reflection?

This is something only the poet would have been able to tell us, but he cannot. As a result, we may never know. At best, readers of his poetry can only speculate on the circumstances of the event. What is truly remarkable about this piece of poetry is that it could be happening, at any time in history or in any place, which gives the poem an element of timelessness.

Wherever Whitman is, he has an awareness of the reality that there are individual men and women around him. If he is alone, he is alone in a crowd.

Suddenly, the multitude of people fade into the background and the poet becomes aware that there is an unidentified figure who has singled him out of the crowd and is drawing his attention with secret and divine signs of some kind. These signs appear to baffle others.

It does not appear to be happening because of anything he has done. It does appear to be a reality to him, whether or not it is actually happening. What is important is the fact that it is happening in his perception of reality. One wonders if it is some kind of a divine, mysterious happenstance.

Is it an event that is taking place on some higher plane of thought? Are the two people simultaneously interacting and communicating, above the conscious level of the multitude? Is there a crowd of men and women that constitutes the multitude? Were they ever there?

It does not really matter.

One wonders if the secret and divine signs that he perceives are something that only he and the other person can comprehend. Whoever that other person is, does not matter, as the poet does not pay attention to anyone else, although he does go through a long list of others. Perhaps he is looking around to see if it is really him, that the person is singling out.

There may be a third person in this scenario, one who is not baffled by the secret and divine signs. One wonders who this might be, if that is so. If this is a third party, it is not someone that the poet is concerned about as this person knows him.

Or, the poet has suddenly sensed the reality that the person who has revealed himself or herself, knows him, but probably in a higher sense of knowing than as a mere acquaintance. There is something happening on a higher level of consciousness.

He becomes oblivious to the sea of faces around him and suddenly, he goes through his own experience of knowing, too. He recognizes this person as one who loves and sees him or her, as his perfect equal. Maybe in some way, he has found someone who will be his lover. It is almost as if he blushes, at this point in the poem.

He hurriedly clarifies what he intended to state, as if he fears that his intentions might have been misunderstood. It is as if suddenly the encounter has become too personal and he backs off, taking a moment to make his intentions clear.

Perhaps he somehow willed or intended for this other person to discover him by some kind of direction that is not a direction, at all. It is as if he wanted to be found by this person.

It is also as if he expects to meet this person too, in the future. Then, the real process of discovery will begin for him, but in terms of like not love, which may not be appropriate until a later time.

“Among The Multitude”, by Walt Whitman

Among the men and women the multitude
I perceive one picking me out by secret and divine signs,
Acknowledging none else, not parent, wife, husband, brother, child,
Any nearer than I am,
Some are baffled, but that one is not that one knows me.

As lover and perfect equal,
I meant that you should discover me so by faint indirections,
And when I meet you mean to discover you by the like in you. (1)

As one walks through Walt Whitman's poem with him, one can only wonder if he has suddenly become aware of finding his one true soul mate, someone he has begun to know, but only in the sense of being merely an acquaintance, at this point in time. Does this kind of happenstance occur in real life?

There are many different levels of consciousness, each one with the possibility of some kind of interaction and communication between people. It is possible to meet someone this way in real life. It is even more possible to surpass the boundaries of reality and meet someone as a figment of the imagination, in the same way. Perhaps in some sense, this happens in a dream or a vision.

Note that there is no one who is immune to loneliness or being alone. Whitman may have been lonely, at that moment or felt alone. Perhaps in a state of reverie, he was wishing for someone to enter into his world.

If one could take every possible emotion that is expressed in this poem, by the poet or some one else reading his poem, one might suggest that there is a gamut of emotions that range all the way from sorrow to joy. If one could take a photograph of human emotions and pixelate them, each pixel could represent one of them. Looking deeper into this piece of poetry, one can find many different emotions, even a multitude of emotions.

A person who is yearning to have someone in his or her life can be in a state of grieving or sorrow, particularly if there is the loss of a loved one. Perhaps this was the case.

The joy comes with the sudden realization that he is not alone. In fact, he has found the perfect other, in a happenstance that not of his own making. Perhaps in some sense, he has entered into a higher realm of consciousness, where he has encountered the divine or the feminine divine.

Maybe it is just his soul mate, another human being with whom he will interact in the future?

(1) http://www.daypoems.net/poems/1952.html

Poetry Analysis: "The Day is Done", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Write for the masses: "The Day is Done", by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), in his poem "The Day Is Done", writes as an accomplished poet reaching out to the masses, with his words. Longfellow is an academic, an educator of the masses and a linguist. He writes in a lyric genre with magical musicality inherent in his poetry. (1)

One can sense that Longfellow is weary, at this time and is seeking rest, as he begins to pen this piece of poetry. Perhaps one way that he relaxes after a busy day, is by writing poetry. Many poets to do that.

Relax as you read this poem and enjoy its simplicity, rhythm and rhyme.

“The Day Is Done”, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The day is done, and the darkness
Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
From an eagle in his flight.

I see the lights of the village
Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
That my soul cannot resist:

A feeling of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles the rain,

Come and read to me some poem,
Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
And banish the thoughts of day.

Not from the grand old masters,
Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
Through the corridors of Time.

For like strains of martial music,
Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
And to-night I long for rest.

Read from some humbler poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eyelids start;

Who through long days of labor,
And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
Of wonderful melodies.

Such songs have power to quiet
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.

Then read from the treasured volume
The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
The beauty of thy voice.

And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents like Arabs,
And silently steal away. (2)

Longfellow may be alone, when he is writing this piece of poetry. It appears that he is tired and sad, as he seems to be seeking solace or comfort, in a poetry reading by the person who he is with, at least in his mind, if there is no one there with him. He may be reflecting on the past or re-living a memory. Perhaps it has to do with the loss of a loved one?

This poem suggests that Longfellow is sitting outside or near a window, on a rainy evening. His momentary reference to the eagle and the feather wafting downward, suggests nature is entering into repose for the pending night, just as he desires to do. The gleaming lights in the distant village are partially obscured by the mist and the rain.

Longfellow expresses sadness and a quiet longing that resembles sorrow, but only in the kind of a relationship that mist has to rain. For him, it has been distanced. He is possibly grieving, but not overwhelmed by sorrow. He is sad and longs to be comforted by someone.

Longfellow, being a person first and then a poet, understands the desire of people to find solace in poetry, even as he seeks solace for himself. He writes comforting poetry for others. The solace he is seeking is not just from the kind of poetry that the poet wants this other person to read to him. There is also comfort to be found in the voice of the reader. Perhaps this is the voice of one who is absent, maybe someone who used to read to him, at some time in the past. 

His brief reference to the grand masters and the bards has to do with his academic career, which he does not appear to disdain. He longs for the simplicity that does not reflect the harsher elements of life, at this particular moment. It may be the kind of poetry that brings healing to the soul, that he prefers to listen to when he is tired, rather than all of the words of human wisdom and power that traverse his academic day. 

Music has a way of doing that and in his own way, perhaps he is writing the lyric for a new song, from his 

own soul.

What he does not want to hear is the pounding of distant drums of war.

There is something in the heart of man that causes him to shy away from the traumatic elements of history, when he desires to rest. At that moment in time, Longfellow clings to the earth and the caretakers of the gardens of life. He retreats to nature to calm his soul. He writes to calm the soul of others, in the same way.

Longfellow desires to hear the thoughts and feelings of a person writing poetry about the simple life, from his or her own heart and soul. It is as if he longs for comforting music, where there is no music, other than in his poetry. He obviously respects the worker in the field, who sings his soul song from the heart and brings tears to another person's eyes.

In his own way, Longfellow manages to turn the darkness and somberness of the dreary evening, into the brightness and gentleness of a summer day, complete with showers. His mood moves to one of rest and relaxation, as he inwardly yearns to hear the sound of the rhyme and hears the beauty in the voice of the reader. His comfort comes as music that is not played, but inwardly heard. Perhaps it is only being written into his poem.

Can one write for the masses as this poet does and not be criticized for doing so? 

Unfortunately, no matter what a poet writes, there will be someone who will criticize his or her work. But, the same is true of prose. Academics will criticize this kind of poetry because of its simplicity. It is too simple! Non-academics will criticize it too, because it has been written by an academic. There is an element of jealousy when that happens, because an academic has a command of his words that a non-academic may never acquire. Little does the non-academic know or comprehend the hours of toil that have gone into obtaining education and trying to teach others. Teaching the masses can be a thankless job, too.

Maybe Longfellow returns to his academic world, as he envisions the Arabs folding their tents and leaving. 

Perhaps his academic world of this particular day had to do with that topic. But, regardless of why the Arabs are in his thoughts, at that moment in time, by writing this piece of poetry, he causes them to vanish, by quietly making reference to them and erasing them from his mind, along with all of the other cares of the day. 

They will disappear into the night. 

Would that life might be so simple!

Write for the masses? Not everyone is able to do so, although there are many who try.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wadsworth_Longfellow

(2) http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=175166

Poetry Analysis: "The World is Too Much With Us", by William Wordsworth

Poet Laureate: William Wordsworth

What is there in the poetry of William Wordsworth (1770-1850) that results in his appointment, as Poet Laureate, from 1843-1850? (1)

What role does the poem "The World Is Too Much With Us" play in this?

“The World Is Too Much With Us” - William Wordsworth

The world is too much with us; late and soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers:
Little we see in Nature that is ours;
We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!
The Sea that bares her bosom to the moon;
The winds that will be howling at all hours,
And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers;
For this, for everything, we are out of tune;
It moves us not. Great God! I'd rather be
A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn;
So might I, standing on this pleasant lea,
Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;
Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;
Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn. (2)

At this moment in his poetry, Wordsworth appears to be disillusioned with humankind. To him, human beings in his era, appear to be focusing more on the world, rather than on the beauty of nature and the gifts that are bestowed by nature. He sees human loyalties turning to materialistic values, with people denying all of the mysteries that the ancient Greeks knew and understood, with respect to the realm of nature and its pagan gods.

Project the words of this visionary into our era and ask, "Has nature changed, or has the nature of man changed?"

To both of these questions, one would be forced to respond in the negative.

Put this scenario into the contemporary world of an environmentalist today and one realizes that this is not something new and different. 

Perhaps in some way, Wordsworth could see into the future, maybe even beyond our future, but in a fatalistic way, like other forecasters of gloom and doom. Optimism appears to be lacking, as pessimism seems to reign supreme.

According to Wordsworth, man is the problem, with his inevitable greed always re-surfacing. Nature cannot rectify the problems, much less effect a change in the nature of man. Even old or new creeds and controversies do little other than set guidelines to which human beings may or may not adhere.

Nature versus God is old argument in his Wordsworth's era. In some way, he is appalled at what is happening around him and does not know how to respond to it, other than by penning these words in time. 

For some reason, even his faith in God seems to be shattered by what he sees happening.

To him man and nature are out of sync. It is like a melody that is being played on an instrument that is out of tune. But, is it nature and man that are out of touch with each other or is Wordsworth out of sync with God, too?

"I wandered lonely as a cloud," Wordsworth wrote in another poem. 

He is a man who lost both parents early in life. For comfort, he probably turned to nature and to God. Somehow, he is still not comforted. In fact, it appears that he is almost at the point of denying his faith.

Why resort to an earlier paganism?

Materialism will continue as a problem in the world. Abuse of the environment will continue unless humankind wakes up and realizes the seriousness of the issues at hand. Perhaps Wordsworth words are a call for humanity to wake up. It is like a voice crying in the wilderness. But, can man hear?

Perhaps the only time that man begins to hear is when he calls out to God, as Wordsworth appears to be doing. But, is he calling out to God, as we know Him in terms of Christianity or is the Great God that he is referring to, still part of the ancient Greek world of gods? Perhaps we cannot know. Maybe they are one and the same to him?

The conflict does not appear to find resolution in Wordsworth's writings. This poem appears to end on a note of helplessness and hopelessness. For a fatalist, everything ends in death. It cannot find resolution.

Perhaps the pagan sea god, Proteus and Triton, the master of the sea, envisioned by Wordsworth, foretell what is to come when there is resolution of conflict between God and man, as well as between nature and man.

Maybe one of the reasons that Wordsworth was appointed to the position of Poet Laureate has to do with his vision into the future. 

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wordsworth

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_world_is_too_much_with_us

Poetry Analysis: "Tulips", by Sylvia Plath

The color red

Sylvia Plath (1832-1963), an American poet, short story writer and novelist, writes poetry in a confessional genre. (1)

Her poem "Tulips" was published in a book entitled "Ariel", in the year 1965. (2)

This poem depicts the tragedy of her life, but shows the acute level of awareness of a person, who is suffering and possibly dying. In this remarkable piece of poetry, a person who may or may not be Sylvia, sees herself as lying in a hospital bed, being treated with injections of some kind. These are possibly pain killers or other drugs used to treat a wound. She may be on other kinds of medication for the treatment of mental health problems.

Regardless of who this is, she will be referred to as Sylvia.

As this poem opens, it appears that someone, in a gesture of kindness, has brought Sylvia a bouquet of bright red tulips. Instead of receiving them joyfully, she is upset by them, for some reason.

The poem begins "The tulips are too excitable" suggesting that at this particular moment, she only wanted only to rest and was resting until the arrival of the tulips. Maybe she sees herself as dying and someone bringing her flowers re-enforces a possibility.

Winter, like the final stage of her life, does not allow the blossoming of tulips; they are a spring flower. In England unlike America, the tulips would blossom earlier. They make a wonderful bouquet of cut flowers to take to a patient confined to a hospital, in the winter. In some ways, they can symbolize the hope of spring or new life on the horizon.

Why is the receiver of the flowers not pleased with the gift?

Further along in the poem, she writes, "I didn't want any flowers" which shows the reader that she was not seeking the attention of someone bringing her flowers. For some reason, she feels that she needs to explain why the gift of the tulips was not appreciated.

These are her words.

The tulips are too red in the first place, they hurt me.
Even through the gift paper I could hear them breathe
Lightly, through their white swaddlings, like an awful baby.
Their redness talks to my wound, it corresponds.
They are subtle: they seem to float, though they weigh me down
Upsetting me with their sudden tongues and their color,
A dozen red lead sinkers around my neck. (3)

Sylvia, like any other person on medication, particularly pain killers, perceives everything as magnified out of proportion. Her realities have become distorted. While she may have just had an injection, for some reason, Sylvia does not enter into a state of blissful oblivion. That happens towards the end of the poem.

At this moment, it is as if the tulips that have been brought to her by someone, have only brought discomfort into her world and in a way, that seems to be smothering to her or suffocating her.

The brilliance of the red flowers, in contrast to the whiteness of the hospital room setting, hurts her for some reason. When a person is ill, the color red can be painful to look at. It hurts one's eyes. This may be part of what is happening here.

If one has allergies, which may have been the case, bringing a bouquet of tulips into a hospital room could trigger an allergic reaction. Perhaps she is experiencing tightness in her throat and difficulty breathing because of the fresh flowers.

But there is more.

Nobody watched me before, now I am watched.
The tulips turn to me, and the window behind me
Where once a day the light slowly widens and slowly thins,
And I see myself, flat, ridiculous, a cut-paper shadow
Between the eye of the sun and the eyes of the tulips,
And I have no face. I have wanted to efface myself
The vivid tulips eat my oxygen. (4)

Sylvia is aware that she is being watched or feels she is being watched, by the nurses who have been caring for her. They may be becoming more aware of her increasing distress. Being watched did not appear to bother her earlier.

Sylvia's vivid description about being watched shifts to the tulips. She is aware of the tulips turning toward the light of the window. Her perception of them becomes increasingly paranoid. They take on eyes, just as the sun does, to her. This is a symptom of severe paranoia.

She sees herself as only a mere shadow now, but she cannot see her own face. She admits that she had wanted to efface herself. This is the confessional part of this piece of poetry.

The side effects of medication and the addiction factor with its highs and lows, may or may not be part of this poet's personal experience. No one knows.

Towards the end of the poem, Sylvia turns away from her exaggerated perception of the tulips, which have now become life threatening to her.

Here Sylvia begins to focus on herself and more specifically on her own heart. It is interesting that by the end of the poem, she depicts it in terms of red bloom imagery, but this is different. She sees love in this bouquet. At last, she is at peace.

One can only speculate as to how much of this was reality and what part of it was poetic license. Tragically, Sylvia's death was attributed to suicide.

(1) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Plath

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_%28Plath%29

(3) http://www.sylviaplathforum.com/tulips.html 

(4) Ibid.

Poetry Analysis: "A Narrow Fellow in the Grass", by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson, in her poem, "A Narrow Fellow In The Grass", appears to write in a way that could be referred to as a nursery rhyme for a child, with its six stanzas of four lines each. (1)

It is as if she writes from another voice too, not just from her personal, childhood experience. There is more than one version of her poem about the snake. Note the changes in this earlier version. It reads as if it is from the voice of a young boy. This includes her capital letters and general formatting.

Examine these lines and see how differently the poem reads, noting the use of the word Boy.

"Yet when a Boy and Barefoot-" (2)

The other version reads as if it is spoken by the voice of a child.

"Yet when a child and barefoot" (3)

The following line has been changed also, in terms of the reference to the time of day. The earlier one reads,

"I more than once at Noon" (4)

The other version shows that the time of day is morning, although it could be either early or late morning.

"I more than once at morn" (5)

This is not a major transition in the poem, but noted out of interest. Why would this have been changed?

Perhaps it was not appropriate for a girl to be fascinated by snakes? Maybe the change in the time of day, had something to do with going to school and noon. It may not have been the actual time of day, when this experience happened to her. Or, perhaps it was an experience recounted to her, by someone else?

Now compare this to the original version of the poem:

“A Narrow Fellow In The Grass”, by Emily Dickinson

A narrow Fellow in the Grass
Occasionally rides -
you may have met Him - 
did you not
His notice sudden is -

The Grass divides as with a Comb -
A spotted shaft is seen -
And then it closes at our feet
And opens further on -

He likes a Boggy Acre
A Floor too cool for Corn -
Yet when a Boy, and Barefoot -
I more than once at Noon

Have passed, I thought, a Whip lash
Unbraiding in the Sun
When stooping to secure it
It wrinkled, and was gone -

Several of Nature's people
I know, and they know me -
I feel for them a transport
Of cordiality -

But never met this Fellow
Attended, or alone
Without a tighter breathing
And Zero at the Bone - (6)

This poem contains wonderful imagery and the capitalized words lend a bit of literary excellence to it. Maybe Emily Dickinson did have a fascination for snakes, but she seemed to be afraid of them. Most people do not like them.

Perhaps the reality in her world was that she had to walk through the grass to get wherever she was going. Suddenly, a snake would appear. Her reaction to the snake always seemed to be the same, that of fear or fright, manifested by her breathing, which became tighter and a feeling of bone-chilling coldness. That would be acceptable for a girl, maybe not a response a young boy would have. The word child would suffice for both.

Either way, it reads like a nursery rhyme, which evokes the same emotion in any child, to whom the nursery rhyme might be read. It gives a momentary insight into her world and shows her way of depicting nature, as well as her love of those who share nature's realm with her.

Anyone who grows up in the country is likely to be familiar with snakes in the grass. Whether it was a male snake does not matter. A little girl would not have referred to the snake, as a female snake. It had to be of male gender.

Anyhow, a little bit of gender-bending is not inappropriate. This Fellow appears to be relatively harmless and meeting with Him for Emily Dickinson, is just a happenstance. A little bit of poetic license is allowable, even when it evokes a chuckle or two.

(1)http://www.enotes.com/narrow-fellow/style 

(2)http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/ed10.htm

(3)http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/824/

(4)http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/ed10.htm

(5)http://www.online-literature.com/dickinson/824/

(6)http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/ed10.htm

Poetry Analysis: "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman

Where are the young children? "I Hear America Singing", by Walt Whitman.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) wrote this wonderful piece of poetry, in free verse.

Reading through it, one must ask where are the children, who should be singing too?

"I Hear America Singing"

I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear;
Those of mechanics - each one singing his, as it should be, blithe and strong;
The carpenter singing his, as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work;
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat - the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck;
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench - the hatter singing as he stands;
The wood-cutter's song - the ploughboy's, on his way in the morning, or at the noon intermission, or at sundown;
The delicious singing of the mother - or of the young wife at work - or of the girl sewing or washing Each singing what belongs to her, and to none else;
The day what belongs to the day - At night, the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing, with open mouths, their strong melodious songs." (1)

Where are the young children, who should be singing too?

In total, there is only one reference to a girl, but she is one who is sewing or washing, so obviously this is not a young child. Why are there no other children singing? Is it because this is only about the singing and the songs of people who are old enough to work?

Where are they singing?

It would appear that Whitman cannot be hearing all of these people singing the same song or singing, at the same time. They are singing individually and collectively, in Whitman's soul. Each one must have his or her individual soul song related to his or her own task.

Why are they singing?

When one reads through this poem, it appears that each one is singing, because he or she is enjoying his or her work. The song, in each instance, appears to be the song that is appropriate for that particular kind of employment.

But, is there something else that is happening?

Is this a song of freedom, in some sense, where America, as a whole, has the freedom to sing? Does this have something to do with independence? Quite possibly.

What are they celebrating?

Perhaps the word, carol gives us a clue, as to what is really happening.

The word carol dates back to the fourteenth century, where it can mean a song of joy or mirth. This is one possibility. It is used to depict an old, round dance with singing, which is probably not the context in which it is used here.

Are there other possibilities? The word carol is used to refer to Christmas carols, particularly when there is a group of people who go out and sing together for others. (2) 

It does not appear to be used this context, either. The season may be Christmas and in that context, there could be the singing of carols, regardless of one's place of employment. It could be in terms of the celebration of the birth of the Christ child, but He is not mentioned here, either.

It appears that there are many songs, with many different voices, the voices of people who are working with the exception of the young men, singing at an evening party. They are the only ones who are singing outside of the context of work.

One marvels at the diversity of occupations, which Whitman has singled out for recognition. It is not the highly educated academics like the ministers, doctors or lawyers, who are singing; neither is it the wealthy or the famous people of America, who Whitman hears. They are all distinct in their absence. So are the paupers and the kings.

Where are the young children?

Does Whitman have a distinct absence of children's voices singing in his soul or is he writing a piece of poetry, about only the common laborer?

Singing at work, reveals one's degree of satisfaction.

There are no sounds of sorrow and it appears that there is no sense of mourning in the poem, which is a good thing. There does not appear to be either pain or suffering. These are not songs of woe or victory songs of war.

One might come to the conclusion that Whitman's soul is simply singing, subjectively or inwardly and the songs that he appears to be singing, in his soul are depicted in his unique poetry. He has tapped into the joy of work and is projecting it into his writing.

Perhaps his own memoirs or reflections will reveal that even as a child, he was fascinated by the singing of the common, everyday people, who were happy at their work. Maybe this included his parents or other family members.

These are not songs of oppression or those of chain gangs. There is barely a reference to anyone singing while working in a field, other than one ploughboy, who may be relatively young, but he is obviously old enough to work.

Quite possibly, these are all of the people who Whitman remembers as singing at work, during his entire lifetime. Maybe these are only a few of them. Somehow, he categorizes all of them under the word America, which he should.

Whitman refers to the delicious singing of the mother, probably his own mother, perhaps while baking a pie. Maybe he is the child, the only one who heard her singing, at that moment in time. Maybe that is one of the reasons why there are no other references to children singing.

It appears that even the very day itself, is singing what belongs to the day. Each person, each occupation, has a unique song, not sung by anyone else. These songs change over time.

Taking ownership of singing and of songs is part of America, its heritage and culture. Inwardly, Whitman is celebrating his own song, "I Hear America Singing," even as he pens it into free verse poetry. Whitman is enjoying his work and singing his song.

Sometimes, what is absent or missing, is just as significant as what is present, in a piece of poetry. Note that this was not a day of child labor; nor was it an era of sweat shops. Hardly does this depict oppression, with respect to any of these workers portrayed by Whitman.

Could our era state the same thing?

The fact that the children are not singing here, might be a good thing, because it is an accurate representation of what history is telling us about Whitman's era and the workers of that time, including the young children, who are distinctly absent. A child's place is with its mother. 

(1) http://www.bartleby.com/142/91.html

(2) Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Inc., Springfield MA, 1983