‘City of Ships’ celebrates the harbors that American poet Walt Whitman grew up around in his adolescence. His childhood home was on Long Island’s coast in the town of Huntington. But on his fourth birthday, the family was forced to move to Brooklyn because they struggled to stay afloat financially. It wouldn’t be the last time they’d have to leave behind home, and the constant movement instilled restlessness in Whitman.
Unmoored and adrift, the family’s nomadic travel around the city’s boroughs must’ve impressed something of its grandeur onto the youthful imagination of the soon-to-be poet. Many of Whitman’s poems give voice to his awe for the towering skylines of Manhattan. Or at least echo its grand silhouettes in descriptions of sprawling urban spires. This poem, too, excites itself over a similar sight — the sweeping fleet of pillared masts docked along the coast — that would’ve no doubt seemed just as imposing as the buildings springing from the island’s surface.
City of Ships Walt WhitmanCity of ships!(O the black ships! O the fierce ships!O the beautiful sharp-bow'd steam-ships and sail-ships!)City of the world! (for all races are here,All the lands of the earth make contributions here;)City of the sea! city of hurried and glittering tides!City whose gleeful tides continually rush or recede, whirling in and out with eddies and foam!City of wharves and stores—city of tall facades of marble and iron!Proud and passionate city—mettlesome, mad, extravagant city!Spring up O city—not for peace alone, but be indeed yourself, warlike!Fear not—submit to no models but your own O city!Behold me—incarnate me as I have incarnated you!I have rejected nothing you offer'd me—whom you adopted I have adopted,Good or bad I never question you—I love all—I do not condemn any thing,I chant and celebrate all that is yours—yet peace no more,In peace I chanted peace, but now the drum of war is mine,War, red war is my song through your streets, O city!
Summary
‘City of Ships’ by Walt Whitman rejoices in the beauty of and strength the speaker sees when viewing the boat-filled harbors of New York.
‘City of Ships’ begins with the speaker addressing New York as a city comprised of many vessels: from “black ships” and “fierce ships” to the “sharp-bow’d steam-ships and sail-ships.” They also revere the city as a hub of international activity. The speaker then assigns the sea as another element of the city’s identity, one where “wharves and stores” are as commonplace as massive buildings that cover the island.
They describe the city as being both immensely “proud and passionate.” Invoking it to rise up not just for peace but also in answer to war and to not be guided by fear. The speaker commands the city to look at them and acknowledge them, explaining they’ve never rejected or questioned it before. All they’ve ever done is celebrate the city in times of peace — but now is a time of war, and that is the song they sing through its streets.
Structure and Form
‘City of Ships’ is comprised of a single stanza with 17 total lines. Whitman wrote the poem in free verse which means it doesn’t have a strict rhyme scheme or meter. Many of the lines are end-stopped with exclamation points or broken up by frequent hyphens, creating a cadence that echoes the poem’s jolting passion.
Literary Devices
‘City of Ships’ contains examples of the following literary devices:
- Auditory Imagery: Whitman invokes the sound of a song being sung to articulate their passionate support for the war in the line, “War, red war is my song through your streets, O city! War, red war is my song through your streets, O city!” (17).
- Kinesthetic Imagery: there is also imagery that illustrates movement, as when the speaker describes the ” gleeful tides [that] continually rush or recede, whirling in and out with eddies and foam!” (7).
- Visual Imagery: there are numerous stunning visuals conjured throughout the poem, including the sight of “the black ships! O the fierce ships! / O the beautiful sharp-bow’d steam-ships and sail-ships!” (2-3) that fill the harbors, as well as the “glittering tides!” (6) they float upon.
- Personification: Whitman personifies the city of New York as one might a person, conflating its numerous parts and peoples into a single complex identity, characterizing it as a “proud and passionate city—mettlesome, mad, extravagant city!” (9)
Detailed Analysis
Lines 1-8
City of ships!
(O the black ships! O the fierce ships!
O the beautiful sharp-bow’d steam-ships and sail-ships!)
City of the world! (for all races are here,
All the lands of the earth make contributions here;)
City of the sea! city of hurried and glittering tides!
City whose gleeful tides continually rush or recede, whirling in and out with eddies and foam!
City of wharves and stores—city of tall facades of marble and iron!
In the first seven lines of ‘City of Ships,’ the speaker characterizes the city of New York through the various vistas and sights that fill it. The focus of Whitman’s visual imagery is the harbor, where there is a variety of breathtaking sea-faring vessels.
This leads the speaker to make another declaration: “City of the world! (for all races are here, / All the lands of the earth make contributions here;)” (4-5). Alluding to the harbor’s crucial importance as a point of arrival for immigrants into the United States.
The speaker then exalts the very waters that move between the land and upon which this city of ships floats—offering up vibrant visual and kinesthetic imagery that conjures up the sight of “glittering tides” (6), their constant state of change and movement mirroring the city’s own life.
Lines 9-17
Proud and passionate city—mettlesome, mad, extravagant city!
Spring up O city—not for peace alone, but be indeed yourself, warlike!
Fear not—submit to no models but your own O city!
Behold me—incarnate me as I have incarnated you!
I have rejected nothing you offer’d me—whom you adopted I have adopted,
Good or bad I never question you—I love all—I do not condemn any thing,
I chant and celebrate all that is yours—yet peace no more,
In peace I chanted peace, but now the drum of war is mine,
War, red war is my song through your streets, O city!
‘City of Ships’ continues with the speaker personifying the city as “proud and passionate…mettlesome, mad, [and] extravagant” (9). These descriptions serve to embolden the city by reminding it of the strength and vigor it possesses: “Spring up O city” the speaker commands.
The reason for this call to action is alluded to throughout these last lines, as when the speaker tells the city to be “yourself, warlike!” (10). It soon becomes clear that this celebration of New York is entangled with a desire for the city to support war — specifically the American Civil War.
Much of their persuasion lies in their reminders of all the support they’ve given the city in the past: “I have rejected nothing you offer’d me—whom you adopted I have adopted, / Good or bad I never question you—I love all—I do not condemn any thing” (13-14). In return for that ceaseless faith and loyalty, the speaker wants the city to acknowledge peace is no longer viable.
The poem’s final image punctuates the speaker’s ardent commitment to supporting the war. Using song to symbolize the passion with which the speaker is devoted to their cause and beliefs: “In peace I chanted peace, but now the drum of war is mine, / War, red war is my song through your streets, O city!” (16-17).
FAQs
The theme of the poem centers on the speaker’s love for the city and their belief that it should support the war. In doing so, Whitman touches on the empowering democratic ideals of equality and praises the racial plurality generated by New York.
This poem was first published in Whitman’s poetry collection ‘Drum Taps.’ Like many of the writings found within the book, it deals with the American Civil War and expresses passionate support for the Union’s fight against the Confederates.
The speaker refers to war a number of times in the poem, and without proper context, it can be a bit confusing. What’s important to know is that this poem was written during the American Civil War. Whitman orients his celebration of New York’s harbors as a means of advocating for them to join him in aiding the war effort.
The speaker’s tone is intensely adoring of the city throughout. This is evidenced by both their complimentary diction and characterizations of the city. But it is also quite persuasive at certain points, as well as somewhat desperate in its pleas.
Similar Poems
- ‘City of Orgies’ by Walt Whitman – this poem also provides a portrait of life and experiences in Manhattan.
- ‘Summer Solstice, New York City’ by Sharon Olds – this poem envisions a dramatic moment of life and death that unfolds atop one of the many tall buildings of New York.
- ‘A Watery City’ by Jean Bleakney – This poem hones in on the memory of a particular city that settles on its waterways.
