I Sit and Look Out Essay

Walt Whitman, a prominent American anti war poet, who lived during the times of civil war witnessed the condition nigh him with his own snappers and transformed it into literature which still stands relevant to our lives today. The advent of capitalism during this time and its rapid pro livingration brought with itself several ramifications. Human concerns were relegated and principles were sidelined. In response to every last(predicate) the atrocities, the people looked around and turned a blind eye towards them. They s alsod as detached observers who did non try to bring ab bring out a change. The song I sit and look out reflects the 21st bingle C apathy of a modern observer. It is written in free compose and marks use of the effect k todayn as symbolism. The basic tone of the poem is extremely pessimistic and the poet uses strong visual impactful words, which conjure up to ready a strong impact as well as a strong apocalyptical imagery in our minds.Right from the beg inning of the poem, one can feel the poets disillusionment of the things of the orbit. He states that he sits and looks out upon all the sorrows of the foundation, and upon all oppression and shame. The words used in these first two lines are extremely pessimistic and negative in nature. People in todays world do many things that are against the normal norms. These deeds are committed due to their degenerate behavior. When such people realize their mistakes, they subscribe within themselves a tactile sensation of shame and humiliation, which slowly eats away their soul. Also, the word oppression gives us an insight into how humans today oppress fellow human beings for wholly futile reasons. This shame and oppression ultimately gives rise to a printing of sorrow accompanied by extreme di focus and regret. He as well as goes on to say that he breaks secret convulsive sobs from young men, at anguish with themselves, remorseful after deeds done.This refers to the soldiers who have been hale to fight and kill in war for their country. It highlights the extreme mental stress that these young men encounter. In the second quarter of the poem, the poet highlights how women in the world are misused and are do by as mere objects for sexual gratification. He sees in low life, the mother misused by her children. He states that the mother who had gifted her children with a wonderful life and had nourished them is now left to die. She lies alone dying, neglected and gaunt. He in like manner sees the wife misused by her husband and dubs the husband as a unreliable seducer of young women. All this shows us how, despite being in the 21st degree Celsius, the way the women are treated has not yet changed. level off today, women are the least educated, most oppressed and the most objectified part of the society. some importantly the poet highlights the callous nature of relation displaces in todays world and in the new generations. His eyes mark the ranklin gs of jealousy and unrequited make out which are trying to be hidden.For the poet these are mere sights, and he does not posses any insights regarding them. He also sees the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny. He also talks about martyrs and prisoners. All these are the by products of deadly war. In a gruesome imagine, we imagine sailors throwing out people out of the ship so that more food is left for the remaining. It can be interpret as the policy of the survival of the fittest. The irony here is that, something that is supposed to life giving (sea/water) is taking the same life away. The final thing that the poet observes is how controlling persons cast slights and degradation and oppress the poor and Negroes. These people are treated in an inhuman way and are subjected to penury, deterioration and severe repression. The poet sees all this on earth, hears about them and yet remains silent.This last line see, hear and am silent is perhaps the most significant line in the poem as it brings out the satirical view of the poet as he scorns the modern observer. The whole poem revolves around the theme of 21st century apathy. It is an indictment on society in general for its inability to assist meaningful change within itself. People in todays world see many wrong things occurring around them. However, they dont try to make a difference and remain unaffected and indifferent. They wait to be overly pre occupied with their own safety and comforts and have lost their moral sense of empathy. In this poem the poet assumes the role of a representative of the society and condemns our pretermit of apathy, unwillingness to act and our lack of fortitude to actually take a stand on theses issues.He chastises the lack of moral valor in humans today, saying that we are too unconcerned to open our eyes to the world around us and make our own decisions. He makes an attempt to inspire emotions of disgust, anger and guilt tho perhaps most of all, a sense of pen ury. He hopes that this sense of motivation will allow the people to notice the deplorable condition, which they have postthemselves in, and wants them to make an effort to make the world into a much harmonic place. Moreover, The real beauty of this poem is that, though it was written about a hundred years ago, it is still relevant in todays world.