Walt Whitman Is A Hero

Walt Whitman describes what he believes to be considered as a hero. He specifically names five that he believes embody what a hero means. He finds a seaman that rescued many people in a sinking ship from their watery graves. Whitman also describes how a mother being burned at the stake with her children watching her is a hero. A slave is also a hero to Whitman. A fireman stuck under rubble that eventually dies, and a general that dies to protect his team are also heroes. He explains that the seaman is a hero because he was faithful and determined to save those people that he did not even know. “How he knuckled tight and gave not back an inch, and was faithful of days and faithful of nights” (line 4). He also goes on by saying that the man would
Whitman is using the pronoun I throughput this poem to show that Americans are united and that is one American is a hero then all Americans are heroes. As we have learned about how Walt Whitman writes before we learned about this poem, I can tell that he is using the word I to not only describe himself, but also America as a whole. He is trying to illustrate the picture that all Americans are united. He describes that Americans are connected with the freedom, the ability that they have to work, and the culture that each American shares. He believes that all the qualities that make up these various heroes are what America is founded upon. These qualities include persistence, steadfastness, courage, endurance, patience, humility, and
The tone of this poem is uplifting, inspiring, and passionate. Walt Whitman uses an uplifting tone as he explains how each American is a hero. He says that as Americans continue to have these heroes among us, that they embody each citizen. Whitman is also uplifting as he explains the pain, and torture that all these heroes had to endure, but all the suffering was worth it for the heroic action that they committed. He uses an inspiring tone when he describes the slave. Slaves at this time were mistreated and disliked. They were undervalued as people and seen as property. Even though with all of these setbacks the slave is still a hero. This shows how every American in every situation can be a hero. He is passionate in this tone as he describes that he feels the pain, and that he is the hero. He explains that as these heroes have suffered so has he. This shows his passion in believing that all Americans are