LITR 5734: Colonial & Postcolonial Literature

Student Poetry Presentation 2005

Poetry reading from Whitman's "Passage to India"

Reader: Jennifer Fregia

 

 

Walt Whitman

1819-1892

 

http://www.whitmanarchive.org/

Whitman showed in his works strong ties to Transcendentalism, a philosophy (connected in America with Emerson) that stated that there is a divinity inherent in all humanity. It is generally connected with democracy and individualism, and teaches the dignity of manual labor and strong ties to nature.

The American “I”

 

"Passage to India"

Kimberly Jones-2001:     Walt Whitman’s "Passage to India" focuses on the physical and spiritual connectedness that must occur between Eastern and Western ideologies in order to achieve a sense of oneness or unity among people.

The specific passage that Whitman speaks of is probably the Suez Canal, which opened in 1869.

 

  1. Whitman speaks of modern engineering marvels, and honors the past upon which they are built.
  2. Whitman joins the role of modern science to the folk tales and wisdom of the various cultures of the world. He believes that this universal connection (dialogue) between all the countries and cultures of the world is part of mankind’s destiny, and honors those that brought these countries together.
  3. In this section Whitman narrates a trip across America by train. This journey shows a part of what he envisions as man’s journey from the eastern to the western hemisphere as the world is joined together by technological achievements.
  4. Whitman again pauses to remember those who helped to realize the achievement of a unified globe.
  5. In this section Whitman moves away from a literal connection between countries to a wider spiritual connection. He states that since Adam and Eve lived, the inclination of man has been to explore and widen his boundaries in a search for the peace that was lost. Now that the world has been connected the time has come for a world poet. People will be joined to each other and then joined to Nature as well.
  6. This section again shows the present as the completion of the past, the realization of the goal of many men who spent their lives pursuing this dream. It chronicles in particular the life of Columbus.
  7. Whitman sees India in particular as a land of earth’s innocence. He seeks to revitalize this ‘early paradise’ with the emergence of a world poet.
  1. With this section Whitman begins to veer off from his original theme of connecting the globe and move from a focus on the past and present to the future. He uses the language of exploration not limited to our own earth, but passing into the realm of the moon, sun, and stars. This is a metaphor for moving into a higher sphere of wisdom.
  2. Whitman continues in his metaphorical pursuit of wisdom, pulling the language back down to that of the earth.

 

For Discussion:

Does Whitman fall into the error that Achebe points out in his essay “An Image of Africa,” (“the young fellow from Yonkers…is obviously unaware that the life of his own tribesmen…is full of odd customs and superstitions”) by thinking that he must travel to India in order to find “myths and fables of eld”?

How does this poem contrast to the poetry of Walcott and the division/tension he finds between opposing cultures?

To what degree is unification reached by assimilation?