Miracles

By
Walt Whitman

About the Poet: 

Walt Whitman 

Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist and humanist. He was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse, though he did not invent it.

Poem

Why, who makes much of a miracle?
As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
Or animals feeding in the fields,
Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.
To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with the same,
Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.
To me the sea is a continual miracle,
The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the
        ships with men in them,
What stranger miracles are there?

Central Idea: People generally wait for miracles to happen because they consider them unexpected and supernatural events. But the poet of the poem, Whitman presents altogether a different thought about miracles. He believes that miracles do happen all the time around us. He expresses his great surprise as to why people feel excited about miracles and admire them. He draws his miracles from day to day life. He is of the opinion that the people and the city are full of miracles. According to his point of view, nature itself is an emblem of miracles – the creation and the activities of honeybees, animals, fish, rocks, the sun and the moon are all miracles.

Summary: The poem, ’Miracles’ has been written by ’Walt Whitman’. He uses the free verse in his poems, as such is referred to as ‘the father of free verse’. In this poem, the poet wants to convey a message and says that miracles are not unexpected and extraordinary events that we should feel excited about. In fact, they do happen every minute, every hour and every day around us, across the world and in the entire universe. He says that the routine life of people is itself filled with innumerable miracles.

In fact, miracles can be seen in our day to day life. For him, walking down the streets of Manhattan (a popular American city) is a miracle. He ponders over nature and says that the vast expanse of the sky, the soothing effect of the waves, watching stars in the moonlit sky, standing under the shade of the trees, watching the activities of honey bees during summer days, animals feeding themselves in the fields, feeling the sun on our faces and observing the fine, thin curve of the new moon in Spring are all miracles to him. The poet further says that having a conversation with our beloved ones, eating dinner with our family members and looking at the strangers sitting opposite to us in the car are all miracles. 

The poet finally winds up his count of miracles by saying that there are limitless miracles but all of them have specific importance at their respective places. From his point of view every hour of the day and night, every cubic inch of the world and space, every square yard of the earth, and every foot of the interior of the earth is dominated and crowded with miracles. The endless seas, the enormous fishes, the beautiful rocks, the movement of the waves and the sailing of the ships with men in it, are all marvellous and miraculous from the poet’s point of view.

Exercise 

Q.1. The usual view of a miracle is that it seldom happens. What does Walt Whitman think?
Ans: To Walt Whitman, miracles are the only things he believes in. To him, everything is a miracle.
Q.2. When you read the poem, you notice that some 'miracles' are from nature, others are connected with nature, people and city life. Make lists of these.
Ans:-

Miracles of Nature: The beach, trees in the woods, honeybees, animals feeding in the fields, birds, insects, sunset, stars and the new moon.
Miracles of City: Streets of Manhattan, roofs of houses, sitting for dinner, sitting with strangers in the car.
Q.3. What do the lines about Manhattan and the subway car tell us about Whitman's feelings for people?
Ans: The lines about Manhattan and the subway car bring out the poet's love for the world around him. To him, observing the world around him and it's people seems to give endless pleasure which is why he seems to term it all a miracle among many others.
Q. 4. Have you ever come across a miracle in your life ?If yes,write an account of it in 150 words?

Ans. To me,a miracle is a happening that is beyond reason to explain. In my life, too, such a miracle has happened. Once I was at a railway platform waiting to board a train. When the train was steaming in, people began to jostle each other in order to get nearer to the edge of the platform. Thus they hoped to be the first to get in. As this was happening, someone pushed me and I fell right in front of the train that was hardly a yard away. I knew my end had come and knew nothing what happened after that. When I came to myself, I found I was lying in a hospital. I was told that I had fallen right in the middle of the rails and the train had passed over me, without giving me even a scratch. Not less than a miracle, I think !

Q. 5. Are you waiting for a miracle to happen in your life ? Write about your feelings in 150 words.

Ans. All of us hope for a miracle to happen when we are caught in a terribly dangerous situation.I,too,am waiting for such a miracle to happen.My uncle is a doctor. He is a very noble person. A few months ago,he had a fit and fell down unconscious. He was at once taken to hospital.After a lot of tests,it was found that he had developed cancer in his brain.He is being given radium treatment. Doctors have little hope of his survival.His condition is going from bad to worse. Usually,I don't believe in talismans and any supernatural powers.But I love my uncle more than I love myself.For his sake,I have tried all these things also.I pray in my heart of hearts that some miracle happens and my uncle's life is saved.

Q. 6. What are the images used by the poet ?

Ans. Images are pictures produced in the mind by the use of typical words.Whitman has used a number of images in his poem. He has used such words that the image at once spring alive in our mind. Some of them are below:

• wade with naked feet along the beach,
• stand under trees in the woods,
• sit at table at dinner with the rest,
• look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
• animals feeding in the fields, and
• thin curve of the new moon in spring

Q. 7. Is there any rhyme - scheme in the poem ?

Ans. Whitman did not follow any rhyme-scheme in his poetry. He wrote in free verse. It is a poem without any regular rhyme or rhythm.