Question

In "On the Beach at Night Alone," how does the second stanza

Answer 1

Answer:

In "On the Beach at Night Alone," the second stanza states and develops the "thought" the speaker has in the third line of the poem.

Explanation:

Walt Whitman in his poem “On the Beach at Night Alone,” states in the third line - “As I watch the bright stars shining, I think a thought of the clef of the universes and of the future.” The second stanza of the poem explains this very line. The poet highlights the fact that despite the individualities of the various parts of the universe, the similarities that are present are stronger and wish to unite them. It talks about the mundane individuality in -"bright stars shining.”

The imagery magnifies the narrator as an individual in comparison to the multitude in his view. How? It is the bright light of the stars that illuminates the sky and the dark recesses of his mind. Also, the choice of words like ‘song’ and ‘clef,’ add to the mundane individuality.

The use of musical terms form a connection between the universe and the individual. The song is husky which differentiates the mother from the universe, creates an image of being something set apart from the heavens which are extraordinary. The touch of expansive harmonies is found in the second stanza – “interlocks all.”

A philosophical tone is presented by the poet while conjecturing about the universe. He sees the entire cosmos as a uniting entity and further carries on his comparison between the universe and individual. Also, in "this vast similitude...shall...compactly hold and enclose them" - the universe is personified as a being which actively ties its parts together.

In spite of the differences, the similarities unite the expanding universe into one entity. In the 3rd line, the predominant element is the interest in the supernatural. The poet saw mystery in the universe and used the dreams and myths in his writing. The overall purpose of the poem was to evaluate the universe and its interlocked nature.