Many of Walt Whitman’s poems are patriotic in nature — giving voice to an unabashed pride for the democratic ideals he saw emblazoned in the lives and labors of his fellow Americans. One of his most famous poems is ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ was penned as a grieving ode to President Abraham Lincoln. Though it wouldn’t be the last time he’d turn his reverently zealous gaze toward the memory of a man-made colossal by history.
On February 21, 1885, the Washington Monument was completed after 37 years — its construction was delayed due to both a lack of funds and the American Civil War. It was then that Whitman shifted his attention toward lionizing George Washington with his poem ‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885.‘
Washington’s Monument, February, 1885 Walt WhitmanAh, not this marble, dead and cold:Far from its base and shaft expanding—the round zones circling, comprehending,Thou, Washington, art all the world’s, the continents’ entire—not yours alone, America,Europe’s as well, in every part, castle of lord or laborer’s cot,Or frozen North, or sultry South—the African’s—the Arab’s in his tent,Old Asia’s there with venerable smile, seated amid her ruins;(Greets the antique the hero new? ’tis but the same—the heir legitimate, continued ever,The indomitable heart and arm—proofs of the never-broken line,Courage, alertness, patience, faith, the same—e’en in defeat defeated not, the same:)Wherever sails a ship, or house is built on land, or day or night,Through teeming cities’ streets, indoors or out, factories or farms,Now, or to come, or past—where patriot wills existed or exist,Wherever Freedom, pois’d by Toleration, sway’d by Law,Stands or is rising thy true monument.
Summary
‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ by Walt Whitman affirms that the true memorial of George Washington lies wherever his ideals are abided.
‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ opens with the speaker lamenting the “dead and cold” marble that Washington’s Monument was built from. They contemplate its erect shape and the various circles made by the walking paths around the structure. The speaker declares that Washington doesn’t just belong to America but the whole world and all the continents as well. From Europe to Asia between both the north and south poles.
The speaker then asks if the “hero new” greets the antique world they’ve emerged from. Answer their own question, and they assert that this hero — George Washinton — is the heir to an unceasing line of great men found throughout history. According to the speaker, Washington’s true monument lies everywhere the ideals of freedom, tolerance, and law do. But they also see it evident in the will of patriots.
Structure and Form
‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ is written in free verse without any formal rhyme scheme or meter. Whitman structures the poem as a response to the newly commemorated Washington Monument. The poem’s cadence is influenced greatly by both the poet’s tendency for vivid cataloging and erratic syntax, which includes the use of hyphens and parenthetical asides.
Literary Devices
‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ uses the following literary devices:
- Metaphor: Whitman uses a number of metaphors throughout the poem, including their representation of Washington’s brave spirit in the line “indomitable heart and arm” (8) and their depiction of his “true monument” (14) lying wherever his ideals are followed.
- Personification: The poem utilizes an abundance of personification, referring to the marble as”dead and cold” (1) or when the speaker mentions, “Old [Asia] there with venerable smile, seated amid her ruins” (6).
- Kinesthetic Imagery: The poem depicts a variety of different illustrations of movement, such as the lines, “Wherever sails a ship, or house is built on land… / Through teeming cities’ streets” (10).
- Visual Imagery: There are also examples of visual imagery, which illustrate the monument itself as a “base and shaft expanding—the round zones circling” (2). As well as sweeping scenes of other nations, as in the line, “Europe’s as well, in every part, castle of lord or laborer’s cot” (4).
Detailed Analysis
Lines 1-6
Ah, not this marble, dead and cold:
Far from its base and shaft expanding—the round zones circling, comprehending,
Thou, Washington, art all the world’s, the continents’ entire—not yours alone, America,
Europe’s as well, in every part, castle of lord or laborer’s cot,
Or frozen North, or sultry South—the African’s—the Arab’s in his tent,
Old Asia’s there with venerable smile, seated amid her ruins;
In the first six lines of ‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885,’ the speaker appears to bemoan the memorial that’s been constructed in honor of George Washington. Its first line expresses regret over the “marble, dead and cold” (1) that’s been used to create it.
But as the speaker begins to describe the rest of the towering obelisk — “Far from its base and shaft expanding—the round zones circling” (2) — its prodigious size appeals to their awe of Washington, the man. Its grandiosity “comprehending” (2) that this founding father is “not yours alone, America” (3).
Whitman then unloads a globe-trotting catalog of imagery that transports the listener around the world. Sending us to a “castle of lord or laborer’s cot” in Europe to the “Arab’s in his tent” (5) to the ruins of “Old [Asia]” (6). The purpose of this somewhat stereotypical glimpse into foreign lands is to underscore the speaker’s fervent belief that Washinton is “art all the world’s, the continents’ entire—” (3).
Lines 7-9
(Greets the antique the hero new? ’tis but the same—the heir legitimate, continued ever,
The indomitable heart and arm—proofs of the never-broken line,
Courage, alertness, patience, faith, the same—e’en in defeat defeated not, the same:)
The next three lines of ‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ unfold as a parenthetical aside. Addressing the listener with a somewhat ambiguous question: “Greets the antique the hero new?” (7) The speaker appears to be asking if this hero (i.e., George Washington) acknowledges the “antique” world outside of the United States.
Their answer reaffirms their view that the former president should be internationally venerated. Using the metaphor of a line of successions to position Washington as the “heir legitimate” (7), the speaker sees him as the continuation of a “never-broken line” (8) carried throughout history.
One that originates in the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe but has now found fruition in the new world. Those belonging to this line are characterized as courageous, alert, patient, and faithful. These are all qualities that the speaker believes Washington possessed.
Lines 10-14
Wherever sails a ship, or house is built on land, or day or night,
Through teeming cities’ streets, indoors or out, factories or farms,
Now, or to come, or past—where patriot wills existed or exist,
Wherever Freedom, pois’d by Toleration, sway’d by Law,
Stands or is rising thy true monument.
The final lines of ‘Washington’s Monument, February, 1885’ illustrate another collage of images that seek to emphasize the ubiquity of Washington’s memory. His sprawling but exact imagery covers both land and sea, cities and farmland, day and night.
It even transcends time: “Now, or to come, or past—where patriot wills existed or exist” (12). The speaker uses this to reinforce the idea that Washington comes from an international line of historical heroes, attributing the presence of that patriotic will to the same spirit embodied in the president.
But it’s not just loyalty to one’s country that signals his presence or influence. “Wherever Freedom, pois’d by Toleration, sway’d by Law, / Stands or is rising thy true monument” (13-14). In other words, the profound importance Washington carries cannot be confined to a solitary or inert memorial. Rather, the greatest and grandest ode to the man lies wherever others follow the ideals he strove to exemplify.
FAQs
The poem’s theme revolves around the speaker’s belief that a physical monument is a slightly inadequate memorial for George Washington. Instead, they profess the belief that a much more lasting and inspiring tribute to the man exists amongst and throughout the world already. Coming in the form of anyone who lives by patriotic values favoring freedom, tolerance, and the law.
Whitman published the poem the day the Washington Monument was commemorated. It serves as both a moving celebration and a reaction to the finished structure. Surprisingly, the poet appears to be less than thrilled about the 169-meter-tall obelisk, which he found lacking in honoring the first president of the United States, though he stopped short of outright criticizing or rebuking it.
The speaker begins by referring to the marble as “dead and cold.” A description that reveals their distaste for the structure as a tribute to the president and their reasoning behind it. Ultimately, their issue lies in its static and somber appearance, failing to capture or impart the fervent principles that Washington represented.
Whitman provides disembodied images of a “heart and arm” when describing the type of man they viewed Washington as. One interpretation could perceive them as representing his indomitable spirit, which persisted even in defeat and, as a result, was “defeated not.” The heart and arm serve as symbols of his patriotic affection for his countrymen and his robust vigor.
Similar Poems
Here are a few more poems by Walt Whitman worth exploring:
- ‘I Hear America Singing’ – This poem is one of the poet’s most famous and similarly uses the auditory imagery of song to illustrate patriotic pride.
- ‘Whoever You Are Holding Me Now in Hand’ – This poem serves as a kind of guide for how to read and approach Whitman’s poetry.
- ‘When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer’ – This poem expresses a love of nature for nature’s sake alone.
