A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman by Angelina Kelliny (Student FVHS)

Walt Whitman

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-15 23:01:15 UTC

A noiseless patient spider poem

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-15 23:03:54 UTC

A noiseless patient spider,

I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated, Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,

It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself, Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,

Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space, Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,

Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,

Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

Symbols

awsasaki100_ — 2024-02-16 02:15:14 UTC

A symbol in this poem is the spider web shooting out from the spider. Whitman wrote, "And you O my soul where you stand,/Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,/Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them," and what he was talking about was how the spider was shooting it's web to these various things. The spider also represents Whitman and when it shoots out its web it really represents how Whitman's soul is trying to stick onto these things trying to attach them to his soul. Henceforth, the spider web is a symbol because of the way Whitman used it as a representation to his soul trying to find things to connect too.

Theme

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-16 06:09:42 UTC

In this poem is isolation of the person or an individual soul in relation to the surrounding and world around the person. "And you O my soul where you stand, /Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space" This stanza elaborates on how the soul is lonely or isolated.

The poem depicts a spider that is isolated in space but actively sending filaments "out of itself," seeking connection as it builds its web. The spider is described using an extended metaphor to show the narrator's soul which is trying to find a sense of connection. The narrator describes the spider by using the words "isolated" and in a “vacant vast surrounding,” essentially meaning it’s all by itself as far as the eye can see. Although, the spider is also described as “patient” and “tireless” as it “explores'' its surroundings and makes its web. Showing the speaker's feelings and experiences and how hard he is trying to be included in his world.

Tone

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-16 16:18:37 UTC

The tone of this poem is very lonely and dark showing the difficulty of life and the world around the person. Using the words "isolated" and "detached" shows the tone and mode of this poem."Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,/ Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them" showing the depression and loneliness of the huge world around us and the fights going in the heads of each one of us to try and fit in or be part of this world. "Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them." The spider “launch forth” its filaments, “unreeling them” and “tirelessly speeding them.” The spirit as well is “ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing” its own “gossamer thread.”

Biographical relation to the author

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-16 21:10:03 UTC

Knowing that Whitman, the bard of democracy, believed in brotherhood, this poem can connect to this idea because it shows the struggle and difficulty he went through to make the connections with the world around him with ideas that were otherworldly according to the time he was sharing these ideas.

This poem helped Whitman spread the message of brotherhood. During Whitman's time America was extremely unliberated and divided so when he came out with this poem it helped spread openness throughout the nation. The poem is about how this spider is in desperation to find something to connect it's web to. But really, what Whitman meant was the spider represented his own soul trying to connect to other's soul much like how everyone should be open to connect to each other.

amkelliny100_ — 2024-02-16 21:53:51 UTC

Imagery

awsasaki100_ — 2024-02-16 21:54:53 UTC

Whitman uses a lot of imagery in the poem to give the reader a good visualzation on a spider desperately trying to shoot it's web and cling to something. An example of this written by Whitman is, "Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,/ It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,/ Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them," then continuing a few lines down saying, "Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them." These lines talk about how this spider is hopelessly trying to find something to stick but can't so it's shooting it's web anywhere it can. It's especially emphasized when Whitman wrote that it was tirelessly shooting out it's web and ceaselessly seeking something to connect to, which helps the reader visualize what was happening.