A Live-Oak Is Not So Lonely
In his poem, “I saw In Louisiana a Live-Oak Growing,” Walt Whitman writes about a companionless tree. Whitman deliberately uses simple diction to show the tree is content even though it may appear lonesome. The narrator is perplexed at the tree’s disposition, and wonders why it is joyous in times of solitude. Whitman’s use of simple language makes the poem accessible and clear. When examined closely, a parallel can be made between the tree and the poem. Also a clash is created between the tree and the speaker, in which case the tree is independent of its surroundings and the speaker is dependant of his surroundings. This eventually leads to pity for the speaker, and an understanding that even if a person is alone, he does not necessarily have to be lonesome. Whitman uses the phrase, “uttering joyous leaves,” three times in his fourteen line poem. It is the most repeated phrase in the poem, so it is very important, especially in a work of art that at its surface has to do with loneliness and solitude. According to the Oxford English Dictionary “utter” means, “To give expression to (a subject, theme, one's thoughts, etc.); to express, describe, or report in words; to speak of or about.” In this case, the tree is utter . . .
The language can’t be argued with and we must assume this is true. Happiness becomes a thing that happens only to certain people based on surroundings that can’t be controlled. However, the poem Whitman writes is concise. The speaker points out he is nothing like the tree, for he cannot be happy alone. The speaker breaks off a twig with leaves on it, and wraps some moss around the twig. This does not make sense, because the earth is made up of so many smaller entities (ie other people). Of course this is not how we view the world. The tree on the other hand is independent of its surroundings. Before we examine how this happens for the tree, we should realize the contradiction the speaker notices. This image is a symbol of the tree, from which all its parts come from. Is an individual person like the live-oak? After all, Whitman personifies the tree, and it too becomes like a person. ” Joy is defined as, “A vivid emotion of pleasure arising from a sense of well-being or satisfaction; the feeling or state of being highly pleased or delighted; exultation of spirit; gladness, delight. The speaker identifies the tree as one single object.
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