Mannahatta by Walt Whitman

Mannahatta
by Walt Whitman
I was asking for something specific and perfect for my city, Whereupon lo! upsprang the aboriginal name. Now I see what there is in a name, a word, liquid, sane, unruly, musical, self-sufficient, I see that the word of my city is that word from of old, Because I see that word nested in nests of water-bays, superb, Rich, hemm'd thick all around with sailships and steamships, an island sixteen miles long, solid-founded, Numberless crowded streets, high growths of iron, slender, strong, light, splendidly uprising toward clear skies, Tides swift and ample, well-loved by me, toward sundown, The flowing sea-currents, the little islands, larger adjoining islands, the heights, the villas, The countless masts, the white shore-steamers, the lighters, the ferry-boats, the black sea-steamers well-model'd, The down-town streets, the jobbers' houses of business, the houses of business of the ship-merchants and money- brokers, the river-streets, Immigrants arriving, fifteen or twenty thousand in a week, The carts hauling goods, the manly race of drivers of horses, the brown-faced sailors, The summer air, the bright sun shining, and the sailing clouds aloft, The winter snows, the sleigh-bells, the broken ice in the river, passing along up or down with the flood-tide or ebb-tide, The mechanics of the city, the masters, well-form'd, beautiful-faced, looking you straight in the eyes, Trottoirs throng'd, vehicles, Broadway, the women, the shops and shows, A million people--manners free and superb--open voices-- hospitality--the most courageous and friendly young men, City of hurried and sparkling waters! city of spires and masts! City nested in bays! my city! Reaction- My first reaction to the poem was that it's obviously about Manhattan. The poem caught my eye and I really enjoyed it. It may not give the most accurate description of New York City today, but it sets a tone of what it was like back during when Whitman lived. Today there is still Broadway, tall buildings, ferries, lots of vehicles, etc. But, in modern day we don't see as many sailors, horse drawn carriages, and ship-merchants. The poem today can show the differences and similarities of the famous New York City. It also highlights all the images of the city and the great things it contains. Meaning- I believe the meaning of the poem is simple, he is describing how great Manhattan is. Whitman also refers to Manhattan as his city, which I interpret as that he really loves being in the city and is proud to be telling others about it. He tells of all the sights and visuals you see when you visit, and all the variety that New York City contains. He clearly is proud of Manhattan and loves it very much, for he pays careful detail to the visuals and loved the city enough to write a poem about it. In Whitman's opinion, I think he's saying that he is proud of the city, and others should be too. There is so much variety and things to do and see there that everyone should have the experience of seeing "his city." Technique- Whitman uses techniques such as punctuation, lines, and most importantly he uses imagery. The visual imagery really makes and sets the scene for the poem. Without it, it would lack the picture you are supposed to paint in your head while reading the poem. Biography Walt Whitman was born on May 31, 1819 and lived in Brooklyn and Long Island in the 1820's and 1830's. He first fell in love with writing at age 12, and read things such as Shakespeare and The Bible. He worked as a printer in New York City until a fire destroyed the industry. At age 17 he began his career as a teacher in a one-room school in Long Island. Whitman taught there until 1841, when he made journalism his full time career. He founded the Long-Islander, a weekly newspaper, and then later on edited many Brooklyn and New York papers. In 1848, he became editor of New Orlean's The Crescent. Returning back to Brooklyn the same year, he continued to develop unique poetry. In 1855, he published Leaves of Grass, containing 12 poems. A year later he released a second edition that included 33 poems. Ralph Waldo Emerson praised his work. Whitman struggled for much of his life, having lived the time period of the Civil War. During the early 1870's he moved to Camden, New Jersey to be with his sick brother, where he himself suffered a stroke. Whitman spent his last years adding things and revising his final volume of poems, Good-Bye, My Fancy (1891). Walt Whitman died on March 26, 1892 and was buried in Harleigh Cemetery, in a tomb he built and designed.