Repetition and imagery in Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider"

¶ … Noiseless Patient Spider

Read "A Noiseless Patient Spider." By Walt Whitman

Then list the repeated words from both parts of the poem

As indicated by the question, the poem is comprised of two fairly short paragraphs. There are two words that are obviously repeated in the first stanza and those would be "mark'd" and "filament." The words of the second stanza that stand out are "surrounded," "till" and "O my soul." "

Then, jot a note or two about why you think the poet used repetition.

In the case of "filament" that is clear a reference to the fact that an actual spider web is an array of many, many threads of spider silk. The use of "mark'd" is probably a reference to how significant this spider's practice is given its vast surroundings and how it continues about its business of spinning webs. In the second stanza, the focus on the vast space is continued but the repeated word become "surrounded." He is saying much the same thing in both stanzas but in a different and unique way.

What effect does the repetition have on a reader?

Some may differ, but Whitman seems to be using the repetition as a way to make a focal point and to deliver a theme. Both stanzas point to the vastness of the space as compared to the size of the spider. There is also a clear focus on the repeated, methodical and uninterrupted manner in which the spider behaves.

What effect does the repetition have on you?

Beyond the obvious, the author of this response compare the size of humans to the vastness of space and the universe. Perhaps that was Whitman's point (or part of it) given his use of the word "spheres." "

Is the description mellow, calming, agitated, tense, mysterious?

The description, using those words as options, is very mellow and calming. Some might point to the mystery but no obvious mystery is given other than perhaps what the mist and such is hiding. There is certainly no modicum of tension or agitation, at least based on the overall passage presented.

In terms of an overall topic, this passage from Walden is a representation of a nature scene but it is depicted in a way that indicates the scene is alive or at least changing in obvious ways. For example, when Thoreau says "while the mists, like ghost, we're steadily withdrawing in every direction" speaks to a receding of the fog from the area. That is a natural and normal thing in such an area but Thoreau puts a supernatural spin by speaking of ghosts and he also is conspicuous with his use of the word "we're." Another passage from the short clip would be " ... dew seemed to hang upon the trees later into the day than usual." This points to the idea that the day is unique in that it has deviated from its usual pattern. In closing, Thoreau is taking what a common scientist would deem to be a normal nature scene given the surroundings and adding some life, personality and variability to it all.

A Noiseless Patient Spider

The persona and perspective of this poem was not really covered in the earlier analysis but it certainly does bear some analysis. Indeed, the perspective in question is ostensibly that of a man or woman looking upon a spider. Indeed, very few spiders are more than an inch in diameter. This makes them much smaller than humans. Whether spiders are in the open and outside or in a house or other structure, the scale that exists between them and people, just as one example, is extremely different. Indeed, a 10x10 room is a decent sized room for a human but 100 square feet is huge for a spider. Even so, the spiders of the word seem oblivious to this even as humans vex and wonder about how they keep working and jumping to and fro in spite of this. Much like ants and other insects, spiders are extremely focused, work-based and they often ignore the area around them unless they perceive an attack like if they are touched or cornered. As noted in the earlier analysis, humans would be wise to remember the vastness of the Earth, the Solar System and the wider universe. As different as the scale is between spiders and the "human world," it does not hold a candle to the comparison between humans and the universe.