2.1 Song of the Open Road (Appreciation)

 English Poem Appreciations 12th HSC Board
Section Two (Poetry)

Unit 2.1

Song of the Open Road

Song of the Open Road

                                      - Walt Whitman

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.

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 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.

(Still here 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.)

                                                  - Walt Whitman

   Q.  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

• The language/ poetic devices used in the poem    

• Special features

• Message, values, morals in the poem

• Your opinion about the poem

 

Appreciation of the poem :-

Song of the Open Road

 

.The title 'Song of the Open Road' is very suitable and has a symbolic meaning.  The poem is written by Walt Whitman, an American poet, essayist and journalist. He is also known as 'The Father of Free Verse'. The Song of the Open Road is a motivational poem, it teaches us to live a life of freedom

 

 Here road means mobility. It means a place which is used by everyone   whether rich or poor, road signifies a place which forces all levels of the people to associate with each other without any status or social rank. This poem centres the quest for freedom, free will, self-realization, and optimism. This poem consists of four stanzas. It is written in free verse and the lines are unrhymed. The poet used very motivational language in the poem. The poetic devices used in the poem are Metaphor, Personification, Transferred Epithet, Repetition, Climax, Antithesis. The poet employs metaphor when he refers to Road to actually mean to road of life and Constellations indirectly compared to the influential people. Use of Imagery is a special feature of the poem.

This optimistic poem motivates us to be optimistic and courageously step out to realize our dreams. We learn that one should be free spirited and not be bound by a routine. I like this poem because it inspires me to free myself from worries and be confident and independent.

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