Comments on: TO THEE OLD CAUSE.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:59:03 +0000

The final two lines truly bring together the book, the cause, and the war. Whitman refers to the cause as an “axis” around which all other things (including Leaves of Grass) turn.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:58:02 +0000

The “oneness” of the book and the war is a response to the idea proposed in line 10, that is, the way in which Whitman chooses to act (not unlike the soldier) in order to uphold the cause.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:57:09 +0000

This line brings together Whitman’s three major concepts (the poet, the war, and the book) in clear unity.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:56:20 +0000

The third and final use of parentheses conveys a similar feeling to the first (line 6). Whitman again allows the political voice to intervene, remarking that there will be many reprecussions to follow the war.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:54:55 +0000

Whitman again juxtaposes adjectives in this line in order to “define” the cause. By combining more negative words like “seething” and “latent” with the positive “well-kept” and “centre,” Whitman again achieves an emphasis on the positive and negative qualities of the cause.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:53:26 +0000

Whitman consistently refers to the cause as something cyclical and round. By referring to it as an “orb,” he reinforces this idea.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:52:43 +0000

In the second use of parentheses, Whitman shifts his audience (instead of the speaker) in order to address the soldiers. He insists that the soldiers should not feel alone in their fight to uphold the cause and that many people, like Whitman, have been “silently waiting” for their opportunity to uphold it as well. Although Whitman did not fight in battle, he sees poetry as his chance to capture the same patriotism and loyalty to the cause.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:50:53 +0000

The “chants” are a reference to the verses contained in Leaves of Grass. The is Whitman’s first reference to the book in which this poem appears.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:50:08 +0000

This is the first of three times that Whitman uses parentheses in this poem.

Here, we see a clear shift in the speaker’s voice. Throughout the poem, Whitman’s role is as poet. In this line, however, a more political voice seems to intervene. By placing the comment in parentheses, Whitman acknowledges that this statement is of a different nature than the others, but that it is valuable and important enough to include.

By: lisar

lisar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:47:37 +0000

Now changing gears to a discussion of war, Whitman continues to juxtapose adjectives in this line.

The war is “strange” and “sad,” but also “great.”