Analysis of On Journeys Through The States

Walt Whitman 1819 (West Hills) – 1892 (Camden)




   ON journeys through the States we start,
   (Ay, through the world--urged by these songs,
   Sailing henceforth to every land--to every sea;)
   We, willing learners of all, teachers of all, and lovers of all.

We have watch'd the seasons dispensing themselves, and passing on,
   We have said, Why should not a man or woman do as much as the
         seasons, and effuse as much?

We dwell a while in every city and town;
   We pass through Kanada, the north-east, the vast valley of the
         Mississippi, and the Southern States;
   We confer on equal terms with each of The States,
   We make trial of ourselves, and invite men and women to hear;      10
   We say to ourselves, Remember, fear not, be candid, promulge the body
         and the Soul;
   Dwell a while and pass on--Be copious, temperate, chaste, magnetic,
   And what you effuse may then return as the seasons return,
   And may be just as much as the seasons.


Scheme XXAX XBX XBCCXAXXXX
Poetic Form
Metre 11010111 11011111 10111100111001 1101011101101011 111010010010101 1111110111011110 100111 110101001001 1111011011010 01000101 101110111101 11101001001101011 111001010111101010 001 1010111100101010 01111101101001 0111111010
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 932
Words 159
Sentences 4
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 4, 3, 10
Lines Amount 17
Letters per line (avg) 39
Words per line (avg) 9
Letters per stanza (avg) 223
Words per stanza (avg) 54
Font size:
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

48 sec read
109

Walt Whitman

Walter "Walt" Whitman was an American poet, essayist and journalist. more…

All Walt Whitman poems | Walt Whitman Books

35 fans

Discuss this Walt Whitman poem analysis with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem analysis to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "On Journeys Through The States" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem-analysis/38092/on-journeys-through-the-states>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    June 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    18
    days
    4
    hours
    0
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    The repetition of vowel sounds is an example of _______.
    A assonance
    B rhyme
    C repetition
    D rhythm