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Endless unfolding of words of ages!
And mine a word of the modern, the word En-Masse.
A word of the faith that never balks,
Here or henceforward it is all the same to me, I accept Time absolutely.
It alone is without flaw, it alone rounds and completes all,
That mystic baffling wonder alone completes all.
I accept Reality and dare not question it,
Materialism first and last imbuing.
Hurrah for positive science! long live exact demonstration!
Fetch stonecrop mixt with cedar and branches of lilac,
This is the lexicographer, this the chemist, this made a grammar of the old cartouches,
These mariners put the ship through dangerous unknown seas.
This is the geologist, this works with the scalpel, and this is a mathematician.
Gentlemen, to you the first honors always!
Your facts are useful, and yet they are not my dwelling,
I but enter by them to an area of my dwelling.
Less the reminders of properties told my words,
And more the reminders they of life untold, and of freedom and extrication,
And make short account of neuters and geldings, and favor men and women fully equipt,
And beat the gong of revolt, and stop with fugitives and them that plot and conspire.
EXPLANATION WITH CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Endless unfolding of words of ages!And mine a word of the modern, the word En-Masse.
These lines show the democratic ideas of the poet. Words have been used and coined since time immemorial. But the word ‘En-Masse’ of the modern age appeals to the poet more than any other word. He says ‘En Masse’ stands for all, for everyone. The entire mankind is one, and all men and women are equal. There is no disparity between people belonging to different castes, colors, or creeds. Whitman is the poet of ‘En-Masse’.
SUMMARY AND CRITICAL APPRECIATION
This section shows Whitman’s belief in democracy and science. He revolts against conservatism and orthodox views. Throughout the ages, words have been used endlessly, but the one word which appeals to the poet in the modern world is “En-masse”. This word “en-masse” suggests all mankind. It is all-inclusive. It conveys the true caliber of democracy that all are equal. The poet has great faith in democracy. He says it will never betray humanity. The next word which is pleasing to the poet is time. He says:
It alone is without flaw, it alone rounds and completes all,That mystic baffling wonder alone completes all.
It is a well-known fact that time can perform wonders. In the face of a grave consequence, the passage of time is the best remedy. It cures all pains.
The other words which attract him are ‘Reality and Materialism’. He is a staunch believer in the basic realities of life. He appreciates the work of the scientists, mathematicians, astronomers, geologists, as their work is beneficial to mankind. It also adds to the materialistic comfort of mankind.
The poet’s job begins here. After the physical and material comforts, the poet paves the way to reach the eternal. The ‘Self’ of the poet becomes ‘cosmic’. The self manifests itself in the universe. The modern man has achieved materialistic advancement. Yet he is bound by customs and conventions Which hamper an all-round growth of his personality. Merely attaining materialistic comforts is not an end in itself. The ‘self’ of man should unite with the divine. This can be achieved only by beating “the gong of revolt” and stopping with fugitives and them that plot and conspire ...