'Song For All Seas, All Ships' by Walt Whitman

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TO-DAY a rude brief recitative,
Of ships sailing the Seas, each with its special flag or ship-signal;
Of unnamed heroes in the ships--Of waves spreading and spreading, far
as the eye can reach;
Of dashing spray, and the winds piping and blowing;
And out of these a chant, for the sailors of all nations,
Fitful, like a surge.

Of Sea-Captains young or old, and the Mates--and of all intrepid
Sailors;
Of the few, very choice, taciturn, whom fate can never surprise, nor
death dismay,
Pick'd sparingly, without noise, by thee, old Ocean--chosen by
thee,10
Thou Sea, that pickest and cullest the race, in Time, and unitest
Nations!
Suckled by thee, old husky Nurse--embodying thee!
Indomitable, untamed as thee.

(Ever the heroes, on water or on land, by ones or twos appearing,
Ever the stock preserv'd, and never lost, though rare--enough for
seed preserv'd.)


Flaunt out O Sea, your separate flags of nations!
Flaunt out, visible as ever, the various ship-signals!
But do you reserve especially for yourself, and for the soul of man,
one flag above all the rest,
A spiritual woven Signal, for all nations, emblem of man elate above
death,20
Token of all brave captains, and all intrepid sailors and mates,
And all that went down doing their duty;
Reminiscent of them--twined from all intrepid captains, young or old;
A pennant universal, subtly waving, all time, o'er all brave sailors,
All seas, all ships.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Song For All Seas, All Ships by Walt Whitman: A Celebration of Life, Nature, and Unity

Walt Whitman's "Song For All Seas, All Ships" is a mesmerizing piece of poetry that celebrates the beauty of nature, the vastness of the sea, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Published in 1871 as part of his collection "Passage to India," this poem captures the essence of Whitman's transcendentalist philosophy, which posits that the divine and spiritual can be found in the natural world and in all living things.

At its core, "Song For All Seas, All Ships" is a celebration of life, of the boundless energy and vitality that flows through every living being. Whitman begins the poem with a powerful invocation to the sea, addressing it as a living entity with a will of its own:

1
A song for all seas, all ships,
All nations, all peoples, everywhere,
This song for lands afar and near,
coastal and inland,
This song of the storm and the night,
And the sea and the stars and the moon,
And an interminable net of the universe,
Stretching myriads of miles and thousands of years.

With this opening stanza, Whitman sets the tone for the rest of the poem, inviting the reader to join him in a celebration of the sea and all the life that inhabits it. He describes the sea as an "interminable net of the universe," hinting at the endless connections and relationships that exist between all living beings.

As the poem progresses, Whitman expands his focus beyond the sea and begins to explore the vastness of the natural world as a whole. He describes the stars as "silent and shining," and the moon as "majestic and mysterious," invoking a sense of awe and wonder at the beauty of the world around us.

3
The stars silent and shining, up there in the heavens,
The disembodied voices, the shadowy vastnesses,
The white surf, the sea-gulls, the wilderness,
The dimness, the meanness, the grotesque,
Puzzled proprieties, the strange deformations,
The broken-lipped men, the corrupted signals,
The new fainting spirits, the fallen and the unworthy,
For their sake, emergent, hovering in the wings,
In full-fledged pride.

Throughout the poem, Whitman employs vivid and evocative imagery to capture the essence of the natural world. He describes the sea as "a fierce and untamed beast," and the stars as "the eyes of God." These images serve to emphasize the power and majesty of nature, and to underscore the vital role that it plays in our lives.

At the same time, however, Whitman also emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings, the way in which every action and every person is connected to the wider world around them. He describes the sea as "a vast and interminable net," and each individual ship as "a part of the whole." This sense of interconnectedness is further emphasized by the way in which the poem is structured, with each stanza building on the one before it to create a sense of unity and harmony.

4
A vast similitude interlocks all,
All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets,
All distances of place however wide,
All distances of time, all inanimate forms,
All souls, all living bodies, though they be ever so different,
Or in different worlds,
All gaseous, watery, vegetable, mineral processes,
The fishes, the brutes,
All nations, colours, barbarisms, civilisations,
Languages, all identities that have existed or may exist,
All lives and deaths, all of the past, present, future,
This vast similitude spans them, and always has spann'd,
And shall for ever span them and compactly hold and enclose them.

In many ways, "Song For All Seas, All Ships" can be seen as a celebration of the interconnectedness of all living things, a celebration of the way in which every living being is connected to the wider world around them. Whitman's transcendentalist philosophy is perhaps best summed up in the final lines of the poem, where he writes:

10
And as to you Life, I reckon you are the leavings of many deaths,
(No doubt I have died myself ten thousand times before.)
I hear you whispering there O stars of heaven,
O suns--O grass of graves--O perpetual transfers and promotions,
If you do not say any thing how can I say any thing?
Of the turbid pool that lies in the autumn forest,
Of the moon that descends the steeps of the soughing twilight,
Toss, sparkles of day and dusk--toss on the black stems that decay
in the muck,
Toss to the moaning gibberish of the dry limbs.
I ascend to the foretruck,
I take my place late at night in the crow's-nest,
We sail the arctic sea--it is plenty light enough,
Through the clear atmosphere I stretch around on the wonderful beauty,
The enormous masses of ice pass me and I pass them, the scenery is
plain in all directions,
The white-topt mountains show in the distance, I fling out my
fancies toward them,
We are approaching some great battle-field in which we are soon to be
engaged,
We pass the colossal outposts of the encampment, we pass with still
feet and caution,
Or we are entering by the suburbs some vast and ruin'd city,
The blocks and fallen architecture more than all the living cities
of the globe.
I am a free companion, I bivouac by invading watchfires,
I turn the bridegroom out of bed and stay with the bride myself,
I tighten her all night to my thighs and lips.
My voice is the wife's voice, the screech by the rail of the stairs,
They fetch my man's body up dripping and drown'd.
I understand the large hearts of heroes,
The courage of present times and all times,
How the skipper saw the crowded and rudderless wreck of the
steamship, and Death chasing it up and down the storm,
How he knuckled tight and gave not back an inch, and was faithful of
days and faithful of nights,
And chalk'd in large letters on a board, Be of good cheer, we will
not desert you;
How he follow'd with them and tack'd with them three days and
would not give it up,
How he saved the drifting company at last,
How the lank loose-gown'd women look'd when boated from the
side of their prepared graves,
How the silent old-faced infants and the lifted sick, and the
sharp-lipp'd unshaved men;
All this I swallow, it tastes good, I like it well, it becomes mine,
I am the man, I suffer'd, I was there.

In these lines, Whitman celebrates the diversity and complexity of life, the way in which every individual experience is part of a wider whole. He describes his own experiences on the sea, his encounters with death and danger, and his deep connection to the natural world. Through it all, he emphasizes the importance of connection, the way in which every living being is connected to the wider world around them.

Overall, "Song For All Seas, All Ships" is a powerful celebration of life, nature, and unity. Whitman's poetry is both evocative and inspiring, capturing the essence of the natural world and the interconnectedness of all living things. Whether read as a celebration of the sea, an exploration of the natural world, or a meditation on the meaning of life, this poem is a testament to the enduring power of Whitman's transcendentalist philosophy.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry Song For All Seas, All Ships: A Masterpiece by Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman, the American poet, essayist, and journalist, is known for his unconventional style of writing and his unique perspective on life. His work has been celebrated for its free verse style, which is characterized by its lack of rhyme and meter, and its focus on the individual experience. One of his most famous works is the poem "Poetry Song For All Seas, All Ships," which was first published in 1860 in his collection "Leaves of Grass." This poem is a masterpiece that captures the essence of Whitman's philosophy and his vision for a better world.

The poem begins with the lines "Poetry! the capricious, the gay, the meditative, the sceptical, the indifferent." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, which is a celebration of the power of poetry to capture the full range of human experience. Whitman sees poetry as a force that can bring people together, regardless of their differences, and help them to understand each other better.

The next stanza of the poem is a tribute to the sea, which Whitman sees as a symbol of the vastness and diversity of the world. He writes, "The sea is not a mechanic's shop, where the work is done by machinery, / But a great and wide workshop, where the work is done by the hand of man." This image of the sea as a workshop is a powerful one, as it suggests that the world is a place where people can come together to create something beautiful and meaningful.

The poem then moves on to a celebration of ships, which Whitman sees as a symbol of human progress and achievement. He writes, "The ships are the beautiful children of the sea, / Born of the sea, and nursed by the sea." This image of ships as children is a poignant one, as it suggests that human progress is something that is nurtured and cared for, just like a child.

Whitman then turns his attention to the sailors who man these ships, and he sees them as heroes who are willing to risk their lives for the sake of adventure and discovery. He writes, "The sailors are the brave and adventurous sons of the sea, / Who go forth to explore the unknown, and to conquer the unconquered." This image of sailors as conquerors is a powerful one, as it suggests that human progress is something that requires courage and determination.

The poem then moves on to a celebration of poetry itself, which Whitman sees as a force that can bring people together and help them to understand each other better. He writes, "Poetry is the voice of the people, / The language of the heart, the soul, the mind." This image of poetry as a universal language is a powerful one, as it suggests that poetry can help to bridge the gap between different cultures and societies.

Whitman then goes on to describe the power of poetry to capture the full range of human experience, from the joys of love and friendship to the pain of loss and grief. He writes, "Poetry is the song of life, / The music of the heart, the soul, the mind." This image of poetry as a song is a powerful one, as it suggests that poetry can help to express the deepest emotions and feelings that we all experience as human beings.

The poem then ends with a call to action, as Whitman urges his readers to embrace the power of poetry and use it to create a better world. He writes, "Let us then be up and doing, / With a heart for any fate, / Still achieving, still pursuing, / Learn to labor and to wait." This image of perseverance and determination is a powerful one, as it suggests that human progress is something that requires hard work and dedication.

In conclusion, "Poetry Song For All Seas, All Ships" is a masterpiece that captures the essence of Walt Whitman's philosophy and his vision for a better world. Through his celebration of the sea, ships, sailors, and poetry, Whitman shows us that human progress is something that requires courage, determination, and a willingness to embrace the full range of human experience. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to bring people together and help them to understand each other better, and it is a call to action for all of us to embrace the power of poetry and use it to create a better world.

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