The Metaphysical Thought Through the Poem Passage to India by Walt Whitman

Name of Author : V Vanitha Jeyakumari

Abstract: This paper is an attempt to study how our metaphysical thoughts are exposed to the world through poetry with reference to the poem Passage to India by Walt Whitman. In this poem the speaker compares the physical journey to India to the journey of his soul to the Almighty. Physical journey is done by means of any transport mode (here it refers to the scientific achievements during that period) whereas the journey of soul to God is purely ones own thoughts and dedication which should come from inside. The speaker says the physical journey to India takes his soul to God because India has such fables, sacred books and temples which would help him to get more spiritual knowledge. Through the acquired spiritual knowledge he believed that he and his soul would have peaceful journey to God ( Divine ). So poetry really plays a vital role in expressing abstract and mystical thoughts through its literary devices.

Keywords : God, Journey, Knowledge, Passage, Soul, Spirit, Thoughts, Wisdom

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