Walt Whitman’s “That Music Always Round Me”, Book Review Example

Introduction

Music is prominent in poetry, but for some poets it is not only important, but also necessary to convey shared ideas. For Walt Whitman, “music is a central metaphor in [his] art” (qtd. in Kummings 257). That Music All Round Me is Whitman’s song of praise to musical expression of the music of humanity and of nature and of life itself.

This paper is narrow in scope, aiming squarely at the heart of the poem by explaining the events and life experiences of Whitman that caused the production of a style of poetry truly American and truly unique in its time. This 130-word poem is perhaps his greatest expression of his reverence for music as a great teacher of democracy. The rich meaning of the poem gets a thorough interpretation, as does a contrasting-complementing view from another source.

This poem, published in Leaves of Grass (1855), was written at a time in American history as the United States was coming of age in its struggle of North against South, slavery and freedom, federal authority and rights of individual states. Whitman wrote in response to the changing times in which he lived. His scrutiny of American ideals reverberates with the thoughts of the everyday people of his time. Through his poems, he attempted to speak for his neighbors everywhere who felt the things that he worked to express.

Explication of the Poem

Here, Whitman is not concerned with neat rhyming patterns or proper words. He is trying to bridge a gap between himself and other people. He uses music as a tool that unites, and uniting was a foremost concern as the United States moved closer into its terrible war with itself. His images in this poem are those from nature. None of the poem resides within the confines of a building made with hands.  Whitman is traveling on a significant journey, and he is reporting the things that he discovers along his chosen path.

His words are unconventional and idealistic. He favors increased understanding of individuals and of groups for one another. He mimics the natural, rhythmic patterns that exist in personal conversation. He does not allow words to dominate him; he masters them, hammering them out to his own specifications.

Argument Using Textual Evidence

Each word, each phrase of the poem are worthy of merit; however, the sum of their weight is far greater when taken as gestalt rather than in piecemeal. This, being admitted, each line does convey urgent pleas on the part of Whitman to be heard, not for what they say, but for what they intend. The argument that follows is one that rests solely on Whitman’s overarching mindset of universal goodwill as he voiced this sentiment.

That music always round me, unceasing, unbeginning –yet long untaught I did not hear are the opening words. They represent Whitman’s fanfare. He signals here that something extraordinary is coming, like the grand entrance of royalty. He shows his ability to invent new words to convey his fullest intentions. By using the word unbeginning, he makes himself not just a man of his own time, but also a man of the ages –man Alpha and man Omega.

With the thought, But now the chorus I hear and am elated, Whitman reassures the reader of his triumph. He is no longer stuck in a place where he ignores the sounds of life that are ever-present and ever inspiring. He is in tune with life, and he intends to live it to the fullest. It is curious that he does not mention that he wishes to be a performer. He seems happy to be an active listener –a person in the audience who appreciates the cacophony.

A tenor, strong, ascending, with power and health, with glad notes of day-break I hear is a sentiment that begins a list, without hierarchy, of Whitman’s grasp of that which is important to him about living his life in a constant state of awareness. Notice that the tenor is strong as all who join in the music of life must be. He has power, and this power gives him good health. He greets each new day with joy and song.

A soprano, at intervals, sailing buoyantly over the tops of immense waves is the next installment in his litany. This is the second time in two sentences when he reaches high above himself to where his music lives and finds its freedom. The tenor ascends and the soprano sails buoyantly over the tops… Whitman is deliberate in his pointing us toward the heavens.

For reasons unknown, his list of vocal classifications fails to mention the alto, the lowest female voice. It ends with the foundation of a choral ensemble–its bass section. A transparent base [sic], shuddering lusciously under and through the universe, he says. He wants to impress upon his hearers that the bass must do his work from below in order to shore up all other voices that intend to, and can, go higher.

His fullest crescendo comes next. The triumphant tutti –the funeral wailings, with sweet flutes and violins –all these I fill myself with, he screams. Tutti means all. All will live. All will rejoice. All will mourn. All of our days will be lived to vocal and instrumental accompaniment.  

I hear not the volumes of sound merely –I am moved by the exquisite meanings. Although the music compels him to listen with all of his might, he is not listening to be entertained. He is listening to be informed. What he receives from the music is far beyond his grandest expectations. There is more than he can absorb.    

He observes the complexities and transient nature of life. I listen to the different voices winding in and out, striving contending with fiery vehemence to excel each other in emotion. He feels the struggle of those around him who long to be heard, to be understood, and to be loved.

Whitman’s celebratory posture ends this way: I do not think these performers know themselves –but now I think I begin to know them. His ending is by far the most difficult aspect of the poem to comprehend. Is Whitman saying that, because of his detachment from the performers, he is more qualified to interpret what they are doing with their talents than they? Or, is he revealing a profound belief in the way that music teaches us about who we are and who we can become if we sing with understanding?    

Another Interpretation       

Whitman learned to love opera, and he yearned for regular, hard working Americans to experience opera, not an elitist sport, but as an accessible identification with the important themes that he heard there. Whitman also delighted in the plethora of family groups that toured the country during the 1840s and 1850s. One of these families probably inspired the lines of this poem that speak of the various vocal parts of the choir (Reynolds). In the days before iPods or even any form of recorded music, people were accustomed to humming to themselves more than they are now. Reynolds (2009) contends that Whitman wanted music that had “art” and “heart” and was quick to applaud the efforts of those who conjured both qualities in their performances and critical of those who were all of the first to the exclusion of the other.

For example, the celebrated Soprano, Jenny Lind, toured the United States for two years and was heard by Whitman on at least one occasion.

Whitman was not impressed with her technical accuracy, because he felt that she lacked soul in her musical renditions. On the other hand, a rather forgotten contralto named Marietta Alboni, an Italian opera star of the day, gained his total respect when she performed songs of sadness and cried what Whitman believed to be genuine tears.

Conclusion

Profoundly influenced by the human voice, Whitman used references to it throughout his poetic career. More than half of his musical, poetic references specifically mention singing or songs, or singers. His other fondness was for instruments such as the violin, the piano (a new rather new instrument at that time), the oboe, and the drums.

Walt Whitman reminds us, in the purest way, that there is something inexplicable about the beauty of music, of singing, of melodic, harmonic sounds. His poetry lives with references to the power of music on the human experience. This poem is an excellent primer for further investigation into the music that filled the life and pen of one of America’s greatest bards.

Works Cited

Kummings, Donald. “The Evolution of Walt Whitman.” Walt Whitman Quarterly Review of the University of Iowa  27, 1 (2009).

Mathews, Norman. (2006). “Songs of the Poet: That Music Always Round Me.” Graphite Publishing 2006. 11 Mar 2010        <http://www.graphitepublishing.com/Music/M001.html>.

Reynolds, David. “I Hear America Singing: Whitman and the Music of His Time.” America Composers Orchestra (2009) 11 Mar 2010      <http://www.americancomposers.org/whitman2.htm>.

Whitman, Walt (1855). “That Music Always Round Me.” Leaves of Grass.