Walt Whitman employs numerous poetic devices in “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak
Gray and Dim” to convey meaning, tone, and significance. He uses assonance in line 1 repeating the long a sound in the three syllables of “daybreak gray” and in line 12 repeating the long e sound in “sweet…cheeks.” There are several examples of alliteration: in line 1,
“daybreak…dim;” in line 7, “silent stand;” in line 8, “fingers…from…face…first;” in line 9,
“gaunt…grim…gray’d;” and line 15, “dead…divine.” Repetition is found in lines 9, 10, 11, and
12 with the phrase “Who are you…” He also uses repetition in line 4 with “lying…lying,” with the word “blanket” twice in line 5 and once in line 6, and with the phrase “I think” twice in line
14. A simile is found in line 13 with the words “a face…as of beautiful yellow-white ivory,” a
…show more content…
This comparison signifies the strength and honor of the dead man and the purity of his sacrifice.
In Line 6, Whitman uses the symbol of the “Gray and heavy blanket” to evoke the sadness of physical death, and “…covering all” to signify the permanence and universal aspect of death. In lines 14 and 15, Whitman uses allusion when he refers to the face of the dead young man as being “the face of the Christ himself” and calls the young man “divine” and “brother of all” just like Christ is. The young man’s sacrificial death for a cause greater than himself may also be thought of as symbolic of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to atone for the sins of
Walt Whitman was a famous American poet who wrote many great poems during the Civil War. Though he originally worked for printing presses and newspapers, he later became a famous poet. During the Civil War, Whitman wrote many patriotic poems that supported the ideas of the North. Whitman’s poems will forever be linked to the American Civil War era of poetry. Walt Whitman was an iconic American poet with an interesting life that later impacted his works of poetry.
A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak and Grim written by Walt Whitman, an american poet focuses on a soldier walking through the hospital tent at camp. The soldier examines three deceased soldiers, one old, one young and one who is not young nor old. The poem was written during the Civil War and thus the setting of the poem is a campsite in the Civil War. Although a recognized American poet, essayist, and journalist Walt Whitman had little to no formal education, this however proved to be a defining characteristic in his work. This short poem seems to be simple and straight to the point but it actually lends itself to a deeper meaning.
"I Hear America Singing" and "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" have two very different tones about the same subject. "I Hear America Singing," this poem has a very cheerful, happy, and robust tone which is evident even in the title. Whitman describes many different types of people singing "their strong melodious songs." The different trade each person has represents different ethnic backgrounds in the people of America. Whitman writes this poem to show how wonderful America is and how much he loves living here. "A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim" has a much different tone. During the civil war, Whitman's brother was wounded while fighting. His experiences while working in hospitals full of wounded and dying people inspired him to write such a dreary poem. Whitman's tone throughout the whole poem is solemn and dreadful. Describing three dead soldiers, Whitman seems to write how cruel and unjust people have been in killing the young, old, and even what he sees as "the face of the Christ himself." In each poem, Whitman uses opposite tones to describe America at different times and in different ways.
Throughout the poem, there is repetition of the line “I am the man, I suffer'd, I was there, ” to emphasize his empathy. He also includes alliteration such as “rent roofs” and powerful imagery like “the long roil of the drummers” to liven the poem. Additionally, he helps the reader experience the events in the poem by using similes to compare the challenges to things that the reader has experienced. One line reads, “The twinges that sting like needles his legs and neck”. In the poem, Whitman becomes the heroes, but by incorporating the literary devices, Whitman allows the reader to experience the same experience as the heroes as
Whitman utilizes the tool of alliteration to fully express the action of the workers in a way it shows the unity of the country. For example, the speaker expresses the action of the workers by saying: “The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench.” (9) This shows that even though a shoemaker is not the happiest job in America, the worker are still proud of who he/she is. The shoemaker is carrying out the American pride by being happy with his job. In addition, the author states the quote, “The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat.” (7) This shows that the boatman is proud of his job and what he does on the boat. Being a boatman is not necessarily the most fun job in America, but you get a lot of time to enjoy the view. The use of alliteration makes the action of the workers sound very important and it is
Firstly, Whitman tells of how confederate actor John Wilkes Booth killed Lincoln inside a theater while the president watched a play with his wife. How Lincoln was killed seems to come out in this quote, “This arm beneath your head!” Booth shot Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head, which shows that Whitman knew how the president had died in the hands of his attacker. However, it’s not exactly a metaphor in itself, but which the next few lines the metaphor comes out through the poem’s metaphor of the captain. Once
A cold stare, and a hand on his hip, is how Walt Whitman introduced himself to his readers in 1855. The style of Whitman’s frontispiece was uncommon for its time, a man with a loose collar and a worn hat would have been found more commonly on a farm than adorning a literary scholar in the mid-nineteenth century. Whitman wanted to show that he was no better than anyone who would read his poetry. Whitman conveyed himself to his audience by showing himself as an everyday workingman; his wrinkled shirt shows that he is use to working hard for everything that he has. The stare he gives back to his audience looks as if he is examining the reader the same way they may be examining him or his work.
In one of the sections from the poem, “Song of Myself” Walt Whitman starts out with a child asking a question, “What is the grass?” Grass is a symbol of life. God, who created both the heavens and the earth also gave birth to life. When Whitman refers to grass as a “handkerchief of the Lord” (7), as a gift. When people look at the grass, they do not think of it as a creation but rather just a plant. Whitman refers to the grass as “a child, the produced babe of vegetation” (11, 12). Here, the grass is a metaphor for the birth of a child. In often cases, the birth of anything is celebrated because it symbolizes a new life, a new beginning.
The poem starts out by saying, “I sit and lookout upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon oppression and shame.” (Whitman 23). Walt Whitman expresses alliteration by combining like sounds. This particular quote presents the tone of this poem right at the beginning. The tone
(A critique of Walt Whitman’s themes and ideas in Song of Myself 6, 46, 47)
Whitman is giving a more graphic example of how sex is a natural thing. By comparing the act of reproduction to death he shows just how natural of an act sex is. Everything that is born will eventually die. He feels that the natural curiosities of the human sexual appetites should not be denied or not discussed because of social standards. Not only is sex a "miracle" that is a part of him, but also nature and the universe, and each individual part should be celebrated.
The theme of Time to Come presents the mystery of life after death and calls attention to how vulnerable it’s victims are. Whitman begins his poem with the strong metaphor “ O, Death! a black and pierceless pall” (1). This bold statement allows the reader quickly realize that the work will somehow be connected to death, but in an insightful manner. The alliteration of “pierceless pall” emphasizes death’s ruthless approach. Whitman then describes death as a “mystery of fate” that " No eye may see, no mind may grasp” (3-4). This points out that death lingers in the future, essentially waiting to seize lives and nobody can know when th...
In “On the Beach at Night Alone,” Walt Whitman develops the idea that everyone has a connection with everything else, including nature. Whitman uses a variety of writing techniques to get his point across. First, the repetition and parallel structure that his poems contain reinforce the connection between everything in nature. The usage of “All” 11 times emphasizes the inclusion of everything in the universe. The sentence structure remains the same throughout the poem, without any drastic change; however, the length of the lines in the poem vary. In addition, Whitman’s’ extravagance with his words further illustrates his idea of the Over-Soul. For example, “A vast similitude interlocks all” (4) shows his verbose nature. Whitman does not do directly to the point, but gives every little detail. Most importantly, Whitman’s’ use of catalogues stands as the most recognizable Whitman characteristic that illustrates his beliefs. These long lists that he uses set the mood of the poem. “All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,” (5) shows the idea that everything is connected in nature. Similarly, “All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations languages.” (10) furthermore emphasize Whitman’s belief in the Over-Soul.
As Whitman, the specific individual, melts away into the abstract, “Song of Myself” explores the possibilities for communion between individuals. Whitman addresses the reader in a particularly direct manner. He integrates his reader into the poem, and is freed of the constraints of poetic principle and social etiquette. The poem presents entire body lounging on the ground, leaning and idling. Whitman deliberately conflates natural world and poetical world. “Song of Myself” goes beyond the boundaries of Transcendentalism in the relationship of the physical and spiritual, individual and universal. The self that Whitman cheerily sings and celebrates substantiates a ‘uniform hieroglyphic’: suggestive, multiform, and awash with inconsistency. “It is as much a physical presence as a projected spiritual possibility” (Jason 2). Even as it blatantly and fervently expresses Whitman’s faith in evolution (and therefore in the necessary indivisibility of self-reliance), “Song of Myself” also conveys a separation with the “self,” the poet himself, and the co...
In Walt Whitman’s writing, he incorporates the theme that the way people act around others is not always what they actually feel by using imagery and metaphors because he wants people to believe they they can show individuality. In the poem “Tears” by Walt Whitman the author uses imagery in order to implement the theme