Facing West from California's Shores
Facing West from California's Shores - meaning Summary
Homeward, Restless and Searching
The speaker stands on California’s Pacific shore, imagining a long, circular voyage that began in Asia and other distant lands and now returns toward a maternal homeland. Whitman presents a voice both youthful and aged, proud of travel and migration yet restless. The poem expresses simultaneous joy at coming home and frustration that the original aim or destination remains elusive, suggesting an ongoing spiritual and existential search.
Read Complete AnalysesFACING west, from California’s shores, Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound, I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar, Look off the shores of my Western Sea—the circle almost circled; For, starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere, From Asia—from the north—from the God, the sage, and the hero, From the south—from the flowery peninsulas, and the spice islands; Long having wander’d since—round the earth having wander’d, Now I face home again—very pleas’d and joyous; (But where is what I started for, so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?)
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