Americans of All Nations at Any Time

¶ … Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States themselves are essentially the greatest poem. In the history hitherto the largest and most stirring appear tame and orderly to their ampler largeness and stir" (Whitman iii).

Walt Whitman's "A Sketch" reinforces this passage as it becomes clear that the poet wants to emphasize his appreciation of a concept that is ignored by many. By emphasizing the "wave-worn shore," the poet most probably wants to relate to the continent's toughness and to the U.S. ability to stand against some of history's most challenging situations.

While most people are likely to consider love to be the main element that "A Sketch" is meant to put across, it is very likely that Whitman also wanted the poem to stand as a reference to love as a divisive matter -- one that requires further analysis and that provides individuals with the mission to get actively involved in unveiling unknown ideas. "A Sketch" generally puts across the idea that the poet was troubled over the loss of a woman and that he was determined to provide the world with the opportunity to understand his grief.

When looking at matters from the perspective of Whitman as a convinced patriot, one might be inclined to believe that the poet was actually concerned about getting back his cultural identity. Concomitantly, it is probable that he wanted his readers to identify with him and to acknowledge that it was essential for them to do everything in their power in order to upgrade their country's image in order for the world and for the rest of the population to understand its importance.

"A Sketch" puts across feelings related to loneliness and it is actually very easy to comprehend the poet's grief at the time when he wrote the poem.

Although it would be difficult and almost impossible to verify this, there is a probability that Whitman was inspired by Ralph Waldo Emerson at the time when he wrote this poem. When taking into account the fact that Emerson was particularly appreciative of the iambic tetrameter found in "A Sketch," it is likely that this poem is one of the first examples emphasizing that Emerson has had a strong effect on Whitman's early understanding of poetry.

Emerson actually influenced individuals like Whitman by providing them with the fuel they needed in order to get involved in writing works that would bring innovation in the U.S. And that would make it possible for the world as a whole to acknowledge that poets in the country were actually capable to reconnect with their cultural values while producing innovative works. One can go as far as to claim that Whitman provided a response to Emerson's attempt to get individuals to become an active part of a poetry movement that would restructure the U.S. As they knew it.