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I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain’d,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince them plainly in their possession.
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
Myself moving forward then and now and forever,
Gathering and showing more always and with velocity,
Infinite and omnigenous, and the like of these among them,
Not too exclusive toward the reachers of my remembrancers,
Picking out here one that I love, and now go with him on brotherly terms.
A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses,
Head high in the forehead, wide between the ears,
Limbs glossy and supple, tail dusting the ground,
Eyes full of sparkling wickedness, ears finely cut, flexibly moving.
His nostrils dilate as my heels embrace him,
His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure as we race around and return.
I but use you a minute, then I resign you, stallion,
Why do I need your paces when I myself out-gallop them?
Even as I stand or sit passing faster than you.
EXPLANATION WITH CRITICAL ANALYSIS
I Think, I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self contain’d, I stand and look at them long and long.
The poet here shows his wish to live in the company of animals whom he sees better than the human beings. While appreciating the qualities of animals he praises them for being placid and self-contained. There is so much to learn from the animals as is beautifully described by Walt Whitman.
SUMMARY AND CRITICAL APPRECIATION
The poet after delving into the mystical journey of ‘self’ and after showing that man can exist only in company, takes some time to describing animals. The section is on comparative basis. He feels that he can live comfortably in the company of animals. Living with animals is better than living in the company of human “beings. He mentions the praiseworthy inherent qualities of the animals. He says:
They are so placid and self-contained ...
He likes them as:
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.
The animals are not power-thirsty; nor do they hanker after wealth. He aptly says:
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago,Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
He likes to stay with the animals, where all are equal. They never have a grudge nor grumble. He takes a ride on a stallion. He admires the appearance and the quick movement of the stallion.
He feels that the good qualities in him are akin to the qualities found in the animals. He is surprised how animals had all the good qualities. After describing the beauty of the stallion, the poet says that he does not need it for a ride. His soul is swifter than the stallion’s stride. It can travel anywhere with lightning speed. Hence he shows that the innate essence is the same, be it a human-being or an animal. Yet a man has to learn a great deal from the kingdom of animals-qualities of peace, patience, satisfaction and contentment which would bring happiness.