Summary Of The Poem To Think Of Time

The poem that is being analysed in this essay is To Think Of Time which was written by Walt Whitman, an American poet in the 1800s. This essay will explore the meaning of the poem and analyse the different ways the messages were explored. The different poetic techniques that were used or that not used help the poet to express his message in a deeper context. These include the use of repetition, imagery, and rhythm. To Think of Time could be easily retitled ‘to think of death’, as Whitman explores the themes of inevitable death, and how often death occurs. The main message is although death is something we can’t escape, we must live in the pleasure of life and not focus of death, otherwise we are not living.
The messages in To think of …show more content…
In the first section, the first two line start with ‘To think of’, then the third to fifth line start with ‘Have you’, then he uses ‘To think that’ for the last lines in the section. This repetition links the meanings together and creates a stronger point. Whitman also uses exclamation marks to increase the loudness of his message and to make the point more fierce and strong. ‘The breath ceases, and the pulse of the heart ceases’, this is another example, using the same word twice to fully give meaning to the word ‘cease’, that the breath stops and the heart stops, never to start again. To Think Of Time lacks the continuation of rhyme, which gives the poem a more serious tone about it, and the emotions being explored seem more …show more content…
Whitman also uses the repetition of the same word to create a pattern and to link all the words and meanings in the pome to one another. Whitman uses imagery throughout the entire poem, allowing for a visual representation of his meaning. ‘Slow-moving and black lines creep over the whole earth’, this word choice pictures the earth covered with black lines, covering the entirety of the surface. ‘They never cease-they / are / the / burial lines,’ after picturing the earth covered with lines, it is then that these lines become portrayed as graves and the burial sites for of those who are dead. This imagery all of a sudden becomes more meaningful and sad, thinking of how many people have died. The breaks after each word, allows the meaning to become so much more emphasized and have more purpose. Whitman uses these techniques to create a connection between the poem and the audience. The poem is successful not only through the message portrayed but the way in which Whitman expresses the message and uses different techniques to his