As I Ebb D With The Ocean Of Life Analysis

Throughout Walt Whitman’s writing, it is evident that many of his publications contain contradicting viewpoints about the quality of life. While in many of his works Whitman approaches the complexities of life by gazing through “rose colored glasses”, in other poems Whitman writes cynically, and seems to point out every complication with the world. This difference in the outlook on life can be seen within I Hear America Singing and As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life, where Whitman considers accomplishments, and their value in society. While in I Hear America Singing the achievements of people are viewed as extremely important since they live on forever, in As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life, accomplishments are viewed as useless since they are forgotten when people pass away.

In As I Ebb’d With the Ocean of Life meanwhile, the narrator is scoffed by society for having his own dreams and not conforming to the status quo. This makes dreams appear as though they do not have a place in the world since they are childish aspects of life, which differs from how dreams are presented in I Hear America Singing, where they are seen as essential for progress. Because dreams are valued differently in each poem, their effect on the world is also different. Within each poem, Whitman grapples with the complexity of death, and describes how it impacts the accomplishments made by people. In I Hear America Singing, the dreams and accomplishments of people are greater than each individual. Although the dreams do assist each person in their path to finding contentment, the overarching purpose of the dreams is to contribute to the progression of America. Therefore, when dreamers die, their accomplishments become embedded in the fabric of American culture rather than disappear. I Hear America Singing certainly views the relationship between accomplishments and death favorably, although this contradicts the