Walt Whitman Group

Question:

kausik911
kausik911
Student
College - Junior

Account for Walt Whitman's sufferings as outlined in " I Sit and Look Out".

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Posted by kausik911 on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 1:23 AM and tagged with i sit and look out, sufferings, walt whitman, whitman.


Answers:

  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    This poem represents so much more than politics. It is an almost perfect reflection of society, then and now. It shows how so many people suffer from injustices, like discrimination, racism, disabilities and the like and many people choose to say "I'm so lucky thats not me, don't know what I'd do if it was me" but then they choose, as the poem suggests, to sit back and watch it all go by and not lift a hand to prevent or solve these injustices.

    The last line "I see, hear and am silent." I believe has two meanings, one the meaning that we see these terrible things happen and do nothing, and two, that some people who see enough of life are physically silenced by the barbarity of the bad things.

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    Posted by lit24 on Thursday February 12, 2009 at 6:15 AM