Journal 39 - Bardic Symbols

"Bardic Symbols" is a poem written by Walt Whitman. This poem is very reflective of his Everyman, America, and Christianity/ spirituality concepts. He interweaves these brilliantly to make "Bardic Symbols" a classic poem of these ages. When I read this poem the first thing that I observed when I read this poem was the America concept. It says, "As I walked where the sea-ripples wash you, Paumanok," (Whitman). Paumanok is a Native American phrase that means long island, which just so happens to be an island in New York. He then realizes as he is walking along this beach of long island, that he will never understand his existence. He talks of the ocean as a fierce mother and that could be the mother. The land could be the father. The twigs on the beach could be the children of this mother and father. Whitman says he does not understand existence is because as he is watching these twigs on the beach going back and forth from land to the sea and back again, he wonders what the point of existence is. He just does understand it. "Kiss me, my father!/ Touch me with your lips, as I touch those I love!/ Breathe to me, while I hold you close, the secret of the wondrous murmuring I envy!/ For I fear I shall become crazed, if I cannot emulate it, and utter myself as well/ as it" (Whitman).When we look from The Christianity concept we can think of instead of the father being Whitman's actual father, this father could be God. He says he loves God and he wants to remain close to God for all of his life. He is afraid of straying and he wants God to lead him in on the right path. When we look at William Dean Howells's reaction to "Bardic Symbols," we are not given a clear vision of what this poem represents. Howells jsut tells of how no one is Whitman and therefore no on e can understand what "Bardic Symbols" represents.


Howells, William Dean. ""Bardic Symbols"" The Walt Whitman Archive. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. .


Whitman, Walt. "Bardic Symbols." The Walt Whitman Archive. 2011. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. .