Table of contentsIntroduction “Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun”: analysisBibliographyIntroductionIn his letter of January 6, 1865 to fellow writer and avowed radical William O'Connor, Walt Whitman states unequivocally that his poetry collection Drum Taps "satisfies my ambition...to express...the impending action of this age and the earth in which we swim, with all (its) despair.. .unprecedented anguish. suffering, beautiful young men, in total death and agony. But contrary to this view, Whitman also states that Drum Taps is a collection that resonates "with the blast of the trumpet and the nuances of...fellowship and human love, with the clear notes of faith and triumph" ( Bradley 765). .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In his poem “Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun,” first published in Drum Taps in May 1865, Whitman describes his attachment emotional about the Civil War through his own experiences in New York, where the North's war efforts were examined and discussed by virtually every citizen. In his historical work American Renaissance, F.O. Matthiessen notes that Whitman's "deepened insight into the meaning of suffering" brought about by his "resolution to become a volunteer nurse during the Civil War" resulted in the creation of Drum Taps. While living in Manhattan, Whitman heard "the sound of trumpets and drums" (line 30), "the rustle and noise of muskets" (line 39), and witnessed "soldiers in companies or regiments" (line 31) and "of the dense brigade...with stacked military wagons" (lines 34-35), all examples of the ongoing struggle between the Union and the Confederacy for state's rights and l 'slavery. This poem, however, is not entirely concerned with war. , as in Whitman's hymn "Beat! Beat! Drums!" in which he explores his devotion to Northern military principles. In "Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun", Whitman offers two contradictory views, the first being a calm and peaceful coexistence with nature that can only be achieved by showing complete indifference to nature. war, and the second, a turbulent war. - a commercial attitude filled with waving flags, cheering crowds, marching soldiers and spectacles of military pomp in the streets of Manhattan. Whitman's use of declamation or rhetorical speech, as in "Song of Myself", is also strongly represented in "Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun", as he interprets and defends his ideals of nature with commandments like " Give me a field” (line 3), “Give me an arbor” (line 4), “Give me fresh corn” (line 5) and “Give me perfectly quiet nights” (line 6). ).In contrast, he demonstrates his ambivalence with lines like "Keep your woods, O Nature", "Keep your clover fields" and "Keep the buckwheat fields in bloom", all in relation to his desire to join the celebrations in the streets of Manhattan due to his love of city life "Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun": analysisIn the first verse of "Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun", Whitman presents a portrait of nature separated from "noise. of the world" (line 12), a metaphor revealing the urban dissonance of the city, a product of the industrial revolution. The "splendid silent sun" symbolizes the source of all life on earth, "splendid" denoting the changes of seasons which give rise to ripe fruits, fields of wheat, arbors and fresh vegetables, while "silent" indicates the indifference of the sun towards the societies of, 1979.