APPRECIATION :

2.1 SONG OF THE OPEN ROAD

STD: XII

By: Mr. Bhavin Patel,

Abhinav English
 Way to write appreciation of a poem:
• Just read the poem more than two times when you study it.
• While reading repeatedly mind the following aspects given in our
text-book:
1 Information about the poem, poet and the title
2 The theme
3 Poetic style
4 The language, poetic devices used in the poem.
5 Special features
6 Message, values, morals in the poem
7 Your opinion about the poem.
 About the poem/ poet and the title:
• To write on these points we can take help of the information given
before every poem in the textbook, as follows:
• Walt Whitman was 19th centurey American poet, essayist and
journalist. He is often called ‘The Father of Free Verse’. He grew up
with a financially poor family background. He had a respectful
influence of Mahatma Gandhi’s humble and direct simplicity.
This poem is actually a section one of ‘Song of the Open Road’ from
Whitman’s anthology ‘Leaves of Grass’. The poem is written in
narrative form. This poem is the poet’s realization of the journey of life.
The title of the poem is an indication of poet’s free will. It mataphorises
the journey of life. The road signifies ‘mobility’: one can take the road
as a point to start over towards something new.
 Theme of the poem:
• Theme is something that the poem revolves around. It is also called
as a central idea of the poem.

• Here in Song of the Open Road, we find there is a blend of themes

such as self-awareness, self-determination, free-will and tenderness
of heart. The poem is an inspirational one. Readers enjoy the
freedom to control one’s own life. The poem makes a sense of
positivity.
 Poetic style
Style in poetry involves the method which a poet uses to
convey meaning, tone, and emotion in his/her poem. ...
Certainly, an ode or a sonnet is a more formal arrangement used
more for a serious subject (unless the poet is being satirical).
Musical devices such as rhythm and rhyme are part of a poet's
style.

• Here the poet Walt Whitman has used a simple tone. As it is written
in a Free Verse pattern, there is no use of rhyme in the poem.
Length of the line is also uneven and no fixed stanza pattern.
Choice of phrases like brown path, querulous criticism and delicious
burden is notable.
The language, poetic devices used in the poem.

• The language used in the poem is very simple. It makes the reader
easily understand the meaning and feelings conveyed by the poet.
There are figures of speech like Metaphor in the title. Repetition
and Paradox as in the expression ‘old delicious burden’. There is
also an impressive use of imagery as in the expressions like ‘brown
path’, ‘healthy, free world’ and ‘constellations’.
 Special features

• The poet has used First Person Narration that is use of personal
pronoun ‘I’ throughout the poem. It gives a universal appeal.
Readers could replace themselves with the poet in the poem. It
brings personal attachment to the poem. There also a special use of
parenthesis at the end of the poem. The last stanza is written into
the bracket.
 Message, values, morals in the poem

• The poem gives us a straightforward message that one has to walk

the road of life on one’s own will with positivity. With a sense of
freedom one should also have a sense of responsibility. One should
be self-reliant and tender heart has to be there while walking the
path of success.
 Your opinion about the poem.

• In my opinion, the poem is very much inspirational. It conveys an

important message of being self-controlled. The poet has rightly
indicated that the path of success in life has to be walked on one’s
own will and awareness. Come what may, one should not surrender
to shortcuts. Mobility should be the motto of life and not only
stability. I admire the simplicity of the poem with its high values.