Not the Pilot
Not the Pilot - meaning Summary
Poetry as National Summons
Whitman compares practical guides—pilots and path-finders—to his own poetic mission: he claims a greater charge to compose a "free march" for the United States. The poem presents the poet as a long-term inspirer whose verse should exhilarate, unite, and, if necessary, rouse citizens across years and centuries. It emphasizes Whitman’s patriotic ambition to create enduring, motivational poetry for the nation.
Read Complete AnalysesNOT the pilot has charged himself to bring his ship into port, though beaten back, and many times baffled; Not the path-finder, penetrating inland, weary and long, By deserts parch’d, snows-chill’d, rivers wet, perseveres till he reaches his destination, More than I have charged myself, heeded or unheeded, to compose a free march for These States, To be exhilarating music to them—a battle-call, rousing to arms, if need be—years, centuries hence. 5
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