Topic: Poetry

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Type of paper:	Essay
Subject area:	American Literature
Academic level:	College
Style:	MLA
Size:	23.5 kB
Word count:	512 words/2 pages
Mark awarded:
Author:	Deeann Cook
Date submitted:	2008-11-18 15:54:20
Rating/Votes count:	5.00 / 4

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Tags:

devices, poem, important, mind, america, why, poetry, before, whitman, Noiseless Patient Spider, Walt Whitman, Whitman, America, Soul, Emily Dickinson, Working, Early Medieval Philosophy, Writing Working, Preferences Ranking, Quality Ranking

In this paper I 'm going to examine the symbolism and the poetical
devices present in Walt Whitman 's poem ``A Noiseless Patient Spider '
We all know that poetry utilizes a wide range of poetical devices , also
sometimes referred to as figurative language . Poetical devices encompass
imagery , repetition , symbolism , metonymy , and all other special devices
required for the reader to comprehend the hidden meaning and message of
the text .
I would like to start with analyzing the central poetical device , a
symbol . Spider in the poem is compared to the author 's Soul , and this is
the one of the cases of perfectly skilful usage of symbol in American
poetry . The symbol is introduced in the first lines of the poem :
``A noiseless , patient spider ,
I mark 'd , where , on a little promontory , it stood , isolated '
This symbol helps the author to convey the idea of the eternal unity of
Man and Nature . Whitman represents Transcendentalist movement , and the
idea of the connection of humanity and the universe was central for the
disciples of this trend . Also , we can see a hidden simile here , because
the comparison between Soul and spider is evidently present in the
context f the full poem .
As for other specific devices , we can see a repetition that puts
additional emphasis over the overall meaning of the line :
``It launch 'd forth filament , filament , filament , out of itself , or
``Surrounded , surrounded , in measureless oceans of space '
We even see apostrophe in the following lines :
``And you , O my Soul , where you stand '
Apostrophe is an address , either to someone who is absent and therefore
cannot hear the speaker or to something nonhuman that cannot comprehend .
Apostrophe often provides a speaker the opportunity to think aloud .
Authors Soul is viewed as a separate being , which the poem is addressed
to .
Also , assonance as the repetition of internal vowel sounds (inn this
particular case , ``ee ) in nearby words that do not end the same , is
evident in the lines :
``Ever unreeling them - ever tirelessly speeding them '
Assonance is a strong means of emphasizing important words in a line .
Another important literary device used in the poem , is hyperbole .
Hyperbole is a boldly exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without
intending to be literally true . We can see it in the following lines :
``Surrounded , surrounded , in measureless oceans of space ,
Ceaselessly musing , venturing , throwing , - seeking the spheres , to
connect them '
The statement about ``measureless oceans of space ' may be viewed as
overstatement , and Soul has no true ability to connect the spheres . To
sum up , I would like to remind once more that such literary devices as
symbol , assonance , hyperbole and apostrophe are utilized by Walt Whitman
in his poem ``A noiseless patient spider '
I find the usage of these devices effective , because they help the
authors to convey the true meaning of the verse . It 's very important for
Whitman for the ample reason that none of his ideas lie on the surface ,
and only careful analysis of...

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