Comparison between Whitmans To a Locomotive Winter and Dicksons I Like to See it Lap the Miles - Term Paper Example

Comparison between Whitman’s “To a Locomotive Winter and Dickson’s I Like to See it Lap the Miles Emily Dickson and Walt Whitman are among the most celebrated American poets of long time. Emily Dickson is mainly popular with the poem, “I like to see it lap the miles” and Waltman is mainly known for the poem “To a locomotive winter” and of course the popular “Leaves of grass.” This essay will look into lucid analysis of the above two mentioned poems using the two as referential basis. The paper will mainly center on the use of imagery to expose attitude and meaning of the poem. The first part will be on Whitman’s poem and the second part Emily Dickson’s poem. To a locomotive in winter is a poem that describes the beauty and strength of a particular train known by Waltman. The entire poem is presented in a way that it acts as a symbol of the then impressive technological advancement in the United States. Dickson’s poem talks of the progress of a certain strange creature that winds itself on the way through a hilly landscape. In Waltman’s poem, the persona displays to the readers how good-working and strong the locomotive engine is. The second line describes how the locomotive drives through the bad weather. “Thee in the driving storm even as now, the snow the winter day declining (line 2).” The two words, ‘Snow’ and ‘Now’ rhyme and act as emphasis that the winter is still in existence. The term, “Declining” acts as an indication that the will be over, thus something new will be introduced. Something new, in this case refers to the development or progress of technology in the American transport industry. Analyzed, declining may also mean the summer days or particular fortune which may be science. Line 21 reveals this further that the locomotive represents technical development in the America. The poem describes it as a modern emblem or symbolism of motion and power representing the pulse of America as a continent. The motion and power emblem has given the locomotive enough power to drive the America’s technical future. Line 4-17 has given out a complete picture and description of the appearance of the locomotive. The machine is mostly described as being powerful and strong. “Thy ponderous side-bars, parallel and connecting roads, gyrating, shuttling at thy sides” (Line 7). From the excerpt, it is succinct that the poet has employed contrast or juxtaposition to give more description and illustration of his thematic intent of the poem. The two words, parallel and connecting have opposite meanings and using them in the same sentence serves to underscore the main idea being discussed in the poem. The other poetic device that the poet has used is diction. In the previous mentioned extract, the poet has used archaic words like “thy” which ensure that the poem achieves its rhythmic or musical sound. The word is also a symbolism of the time setting of the poem. It shows that the poem was set during the ancient times when scientific development took over in the America continent. The poet has also employed vivid description besides appropriate word selection to give the picture of the old American society in terms of its scientific progress. In the eighteenth line, there is a talk of cars following obedient the locomotive. This is an implication that locomotive leads and everyone follows it merrily. “Merrily” implies that man is following the locomotive drives with pleasure as the machine drives through the gales, slacks and swifts. The cars following the locomotive obediently is a symbolism with the meaning of mankind following technical fortune with great pleasure. At the end of the poem, the reader gets a view that the locomotive in the poem is driving through dreary sceneries. The locomotive, however, lacks the ability to effect its environment in a good way. This is revealed by Chiasmus in the 38th line. Analyzed, the poem gives an admiring tone towards the locomotive. As stated earlier, mankind is following the locomotive with merry implying their admiration towards it. Emily Dickson also has the element and use of locomotive but in a seemingly different way and style altogether. Virtually the entire poem is metaphoric and personified to make it more interesting and lively as well as informing in its attitude and themes. Personification, for instance, has been revealed in line 2 when the poet states that the locomotive ‘licks’ the valley up. This means that America was in dire need of scientific innovations and improvements to make life easier for mankind. The act of the locomotive licking the valleys also implies that there were challenges that scientific developments and innovations faced as they spread through the US. “And lick the valleys up” (Line 2). The idea of the locomotive feeding itself at Tanks symbolizes vehicles or other means of transport being fuelled. There is also humor in the poem when the poet states that the locomotive chases itself in fourth line of the third stanza. This also gives the tone of desperation of the land for transport facilities. The poem has also employed onomatopoeia to display the introduction of locomotives and vehicles, as the core theme in the poem. The tone depicted by the poem is that of desperation and desire to promote the use of locomotives in the society. The main difference between the two poems is the styles that have been used by the two poets to reveal their themes to the readers. Whitman’s poem, “To a locomotive winter”, has used a variety of imagery and styles with symbolism and personification taking the upper role. Emily Dickson’s poem, on the other hand, has employed metaphor in almost the entire poem to reveal the message. Another difference is that the first poem has stated the geographical and time setting which is America where locomotives are being developed. Time setting is during the 1881. Emily’s poem has no geographical or time setting for the readers. The similarity is that both talk of the introduction of locomotives into societies. They have also used certain similar poetic styles such as rhymes and personification. Read More