The Ship Starting
The Ship Starting - context Summary
Leaves of Grass (1867)
Published in Whitman’s Leaves of Grass (1867), "The Ship Starting" presents a brief, celebratory image of a vessel embarking into the open sea. The poem reflects Whitman’s larger preoccupations with expansion, democracy, and the American spirit, using the ship as a public, optimistic emblem of movement and collective energy. Its imagery emphasizes forward motion, communal momentum, and the harmony between human endeavor and the natural world.
Read Complete AnalysesLO! the unbounded sea! On its breast a Ship starting, spreading all her sails—an ample Ship, carrying even her moonsails; The pennant is flying aloft, as she speeds, she speeds so stately—below, emulous waves press forward, They surround the Ship, with shining curving motions, and foam.
Feel free to be first to leave comment.