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There are 175 comments in this document
  1. MANNAHATTA (2)
  2. PAUMANOK (1)
  3. FROM MONTAUK POINT (1)
  4. TO THOSE WHO’VE FAIL’D (1)
  5. A CAROL CLOSING SIXTY-NINE (1)
  6. THE BRAVEST SOLDIERS (1)
  7. A FONT OF TYPE (1)
  8. AS I SIT WRITING HERE (2)
  9. MY CANARY BIRD (2)
  10. QUERIES TO MY SEVENTIETH YEAR (4)
  11. THE WALLABOUT MARTYRS (3)
  12. THE FIRST DANDELION (1)
  13. AMERICA (2)
  14. MEMORIES (1)
  15. TO-DAY AND THEE (2)
  16. AFTER THE DAZZLE OF DAY (2)
  17. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BORN FEB. 12, 1809 (1)
  18. OUT OF MAY’S SHOWS SELECTED (1)
  19. HALCYON DAYS (1)
  20. FANCIES AT NAVESINK (20)
  21. ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER, 1884 (2)
  22. WITH HUSKY-HAUGHTY LIPS, O SEA! (17)
  23. DEATH OF GENERAL GRANT (4)
  24. RED JACKET (FROM ALOFT.) (1)
  25. WASHINGTON’S MONUMENT, FEBRUARY, 1885 (4)
  26. OF THAT BLITHE THROAT OF THINE (11)
  27. BROADWAY (1)
  28. TO GET THE FINAL LILT OF SONGS (6)
  29. OLD SALT KOSSABONE (1)
  30. THE DEAD TENOR (10)
  31. CONTINUITIES. [From a talk I had lately with a German spiritualist.] (1)
  32. YONNONDIO (7)
  33. LIFE (2)
  34. “GOING SOMEWHERE.” (2)
  35. SMALL THE THEME OF MY CHANT (0)
  36. TRUE CONQUERORS (2)
  37. THE UNITED STATES TO OLD WORLD CRITICS (2)
  38. THE CALMING THOUGHT OF ALL (3)
  39. THANKS IN OLD AGE (1)
  40. LIFE AND DEATH (1)
  41. THE VOICE OF THE RAIN (4)
  42. SOON SHALL THE WINTER’S FOIL BE HERE (6)
  43. WHILE NOT THE PAST FORGETTING (1)
  44. THE DYING VETERAN. [A Long Island incident — early part of the present century.] (1)
  45. STRONGER LESSONS (0)
  46. A PRAIRIE SUNSET (4)
  47. TWENTY YEARS (2)
  48. ORANGE BUDS BY MAIL FROM FLORIDA (2)
  49. TWILIGHT (5)
  50. YOU LINGERING SPARSE LEAVES OF ME (1)
  51. NOT MEAGRE, LATENT BOUGHS ALONE (1)
  52. THE DEAD EMPEROR (2)
  53. AS THE GREEK’S SIGNAL FLAME. [For Whittier’s eightieth birthday, December 17, 1887.] (0)
  54. THE DISMANTLED SHIP (0)
  55. NOW PRECEDENT SONGS, FAREWELL (0)
  56. AN EVENING LULL (0)
  57. OLD AGE’S LAMBENT PEAKS (0)
  58. AFTER THE SUPPER AND TALK (0)
  59. By That Long Scan of Waves (16)
Avatar of jewbacca jewbacca
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The poem opens with the words, "That coursing on." Referring to the "round earth's silent vital laws, facts, [and] modes," Whitman is stating that they press on, "whate'er men's speculations." The "changing schools, theologies, philosophies" are that which we have created and continue to create during our relatively brief period of existence on this world. "New and old," the presentations that cry out to be acknowledged as more than mere transitory accomplishments are temporary, whereas the earth is eternal. "The round earth's silent vital laws, facts, modes continue." The world was around before us and will continue to be around after us, existing entirely independently of humanity.
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Main Entry: 1bawl Pronunciation: \ˈbȯl\ Function: verb Etymology: Middle English, to bark, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Icelandic baula to low Date: 1533 intransitive verb 1 : to cry out loudly and unrestrainedly 2 : to cry loudly
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Whitman is analysing the never-changing course of life. In these four lines, he presents the illusion of change that we all hold on to--that we are evolving and changing as time progresses--and proceeds to destroy that image by revealing that despite all our "evolution", the world continues to turn as though we were never here. But he presents this not as a disturbing reality, but a calming perpetuity upon which we can count on even amidst the chaos of life. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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