I Sit and Look Out

1. Whitman wrote this poem in 1860, one year before the American Civil War began. What examples do you see in the poem of people, groups, or events that may parallel the national turmoil in America when the poem was written? Create a T chart to organize your comparisons, with specific examples from the poem on one side, and explanations of national division they may have coincided with on the other. After creating your chart, journal a reflection on how many of the miseries observed in the poem are still present in America today. Which problems have been fully or partially resolved? Which problems persist in the present day?

2. Whitman was known for using catalogs in his poetry to list several people or ideas as he does in “I Sit and Look Out” with the “I + verb” structure. He uses a similar catalog structure in his poem “I Hear America Singing.” Compare and contrast this poem with “I Sit and Look Out.” As you look for similarities and differences, consider elements such as tone, structure, imagery, and theme. Create an essay with an introduction, conclusion, and two body paragraphs. In each body paragraph, discuss one point of similarity or one point of difference (for example, one paragraph on the similarity in structure, and one paragraph on the contrast in tones). Cite direct quotes from the poem as support for your assertions. Be sure to analyze each quote to show how it supports your claims about points of similarity or difference between the poems.

3. Choose three images from the poem that stand out to you the most. What theme or overall message does Whitman communicate by focusing on the people, groups, or ideas you chose? How do his descriptions and use of structure point to that theme? Create an essay with an introduction, conclusion, and three body paragraphs. Your thesis statement should make a claim about the theme that Whitman communicates through the three images you have chosen from the poem. Focus each body paragraph on a separate image, showing how that image supports the theme. As you analyze each description, consider Whitman’s use of literary devices, such as imagery, word choice, tone, structure, symbolism, etc.