Here we go
Hello! So begins our blog conversation. Take some time with “A Noiseless Patient Spider” today, we are going to memorize it together and discuss it in class tomorrow. Notice the structure of it, the number of sentences, the parallelism. Ask yourself what the tone is, how does the writer feel about this enormous world and small self? This is one of my favorite poems, it describes a sensation that I have experienced all my life. It is also in the tradition of the psalms–and you O my soul…..I can’t wait to discuss it with you all.
On another note: syllabus transmission problems apparently persist. I have emailed the 12:40 class individually with the attachments (a forward). There is a copy of the daily syllabus with work due for tomorrow and friday outside my office door, Boyer 157. I am talking to the Blackboard administrators today.
Don’t forget to collect some images today.
February 5th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I think this poem is wonderfully written and gives a good amount of insight into the thoughts and feelings of Whitman. I believe the first part of Whitman’s poem can be taken very literally. The spider is alone, set apart from the world, all alone. He searches the world around him and tries again and again to find something to spin his web on. The spider is searching for an anchor. The second part of the poem however refers to a soul, quite possibly Whitman’s. He compares the spiders experience to his own. Maybe he too feels isolated from the world and alone. He continually searches for something to be his stronghold, he needs a lasting connection. Quite possibly he is searching for something as simple as friendship, someone or something to rely on or even something bigger and better beyond the tasks of everyday life. He is trying to find a lasting connection, and while he searches he throws out hope after hope that one day he might find the connection he is searching for.
February 5th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I think the narrator is searching for a place to find meaning or satisfaction in life (trying to find a place to form his/her web). As the narrator is struggling with this he is watching this spider and seeing how it patiently searches its surroundings and casts out its web until it can take hold of something. I think this spider makes the narrator aware that as one is exploring life he/she has to be patient as they may be stuggling to find grounding, but he/she also has to be willing to put his/her self out there and take risks (start spinning their web) in order to finally find a place in the world.
February 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
This poem uses a lot of imagery to describe the feeling of the spider. The spider is a metaphor for Whitman. He is putting his feelings into the spider. This poem is expressing feelings of loneliness and wanting to belong. It was wise of Whitman to use a spider to represent these images because no one enjoys the company of a spider. When a person sees a spider they want it to go away or try to kill it. The spider shows the feeling of wanting a friendship, but not being able to find one because people only judge you on your outside appearance. This poem is targeted towards all age groups, because everyone knows the feelings of wanted to be accepted for who they are. The reader can relate to the spider by thinking back to a time they felt left out or got made fun of and sympathize with the spider. This poem teaches people to get to know a person before you judge them.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I agree that this poem was written very nicely, and the use of a spider to convey his message is the use of a good image. Spiders are unwanted, but more importantly they make webs. The web is the spider’s home and provider, and it is created by the spider sending out these filaments so that they might stick to something solid. Whitman is using this to describe how people expel a bit of their soul in searching for something solid. For example, when making new friends, we expel a bit of our soul that will hopefully stick to something solid, and if that filament of soul does stick (like in a true friendship) then the soul can grow and become structured like a spider’s web.
I also like the use of a spider because apparently there is a lot of strength in each filament compared to size in a spider’s filament. Knowing this just builds on the filament/soul metaphor because the soul gives so much strength to people.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I really enjoyed this poem and took a different look at it than the others that have posted before me. Occasionally, I find myself hanging just as the spider hung with similar feelings of simple contentment. I also think that this spider is experiencing what it is to feel lost in an environment that we are so accustomed to. Yet even though he may feel isolated and lonely, he continues to work diligently. As college students, I think we can become so used to our surroundings that from time to time we can begin to feel lost and unsure of where we are in life. Despite these feelings consuming our thoughts, we continue to work and educate ourselves so that we are well prepared for whatever the future holds for us. Although many of us do not fully understand what our future holds for us, we still continue to press on and keep working just as the spider continued to launch forth filament after filament.
February 5th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I loved how this poem was written. Whitman seems to be so observant of the world around him. He took something that people are scared of (most of the time) and turned it into something beautiful and mesmerizing. I think that he was trying to say through this poem that, like the spider, we should have faith in things around us. When the spider falls and starts to make the web, the only thing holding that spider up is the filament. The filament for us college students would be anyone, from parents to teachers, college friends to friends from home. They’re all there to support us. Just like the filament is supporting the spider when it makes it’s web.
February 6th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Like some people have already mentioned, I also found it interesting that Whitman chose to use a spider to moralize on human life. Who ever would have thought that we could learn so much from such an undesirable (in my opinion) insect? Surprisingly enough, the spider teaches us valuable lessons about perseverance and human interdependency. The spider “launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself - ever unreeling, and ever tirelessly.” In the same manner, we are called to persevere in both our spiritual and physical lives so that we can receive what God has promised us (Hebrews 10:36). In addition, the spider’s quest is symbolic of our human need for relationships. Like the spider who so desperately sought after something to connect with, we were created with an intrinsic need for relationships. As deep cries out to deep, our soul longs for a personal relationship with our Creator, and subsequently, with each other.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
The poem “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” had imagery that made a spider and its web mirrored a human and his or her soul. I think that Waldman was very intentional about choosing the characters of his illustration. Spiders have many eyes, and therefore see and experience in multiple ways. Similarly, humans face different circumstances in life, and acquire different views because of this. All of our encounters develop and create our souls. A soul being compared to a web is outstanding. Webs are very intricate, fragile, natural, and beautiful. The same words describe our souls. Due to different happenings in our life, our souls become complex as they grow older. Yet, they are still very fragile and malleable, because different people, environments, etc. have a huge impact on the development and maintaining of our souls. They are natural, because souls are born within humans, just like the makings of a web within a spider. Webs and souls are also very beautiful, because of the intricacy and hard work that contributed to its creation.
February 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I think this poem displays an example of how complex we humans are compared to other organisms, and possibly the things that we take for granted. He describes the spider as being patient and noiseless, something I feel we as a society today are not. Most people live their lives in a constant state of rush and chaos; but not the spider. The spider stood gazing off into a vacant land, exploring his options of where to build his web. Once found, he gave himself fully to his goal and worked diligently until his task was completed. But me? But you? Whitman describes us as wandering aimlessly, until we are to be found. I feel as if unlike the spider looking into the empty land, we are in the land, surrounded by so much stuff, we don’t even know where to begin to settle down. Even though we are in land we are detached from it because we are ceaselessly moving throughout it trying to find our way. We will be in a constant state of doing or moving until we find the one thing that is firm and steady like a bridge that will connect us to our soul’s connection.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
What a wonderful perspective on something that can so easily overtake us all. I have never been an avid reader of poetry, but ever since my eyes hit the page while reading Whitman’s amazing artistry, I have not been able to slow down. His amazingly optimistic view is subtle and refreshing. His imagery is beautiful and complex, yet simple in its wording.
Whitman does amazing things with parallels. The obvious is that the spider is connected to the soul. This lone creature flinging webs and feelers out to catch something. It could be the love of another. It could be social, educational, philosophical. Either way, both the soul and the spider need these connections to survive.
But even though it is survival based, Whitman reassures us with the words noiseless and patient. Ah how wonderful it would be if one could be content and patient in life. The soul and spider need these connections to tangible, wholesome things and even though they are distant and are happened upon by chance, we are to be calm and patient. We should have faith in the fact that there is an and. Whitman makes that known at the end of the poem, using the words “Til the bridge you will need be built,” and “’till the ductile anchor hold.” This means there is an end, but a fragile one that will start the cycle over once more.
February 6th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
When i first read “A Noiseless Patient Spider” I took meanings from my own personal experiences that the relationship between the writer and the spider where two different people instead of one individual describing him/herself. As I read the part where he writes “And you O my soul where you stand” I was not thinking on the level of concentration or focus within but less of a personal profit and more of a thought for another. Since the word “you” appears twice I immediately was driven to another. So by thinking in this fashion, I was more than delighted to believe in a more romantic nature rather than a time of personal reflection. The idea of going through life and noticing another human being, seeing the innocent nature and the selflessness of that individual makes me want to be as innocent and selfless. This makes me feel in a way almost complete.
I now know that this was not the intention of the poem.
This poem to me, without the previous notion, symbolizes the vastness and broadness of the world in which we live. We are all like the little spider who is going about its struggles and its trials in order to grasp onto what we do not want, (a.k.a. death)
February 6th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
As a biology major, the artform of poetry has been something I haven’t really explored. By that, I mean to say that I have never been big on reading poetry. This is not to say that I am unfamiliar to Whitman; on the contrary, in high school I studied several of Whitman’s poems and he truly deserves the title of “Grandfather of American Poetry.” He uses clear and succinct words to describe particular metaphors and vivid imagery in great detail.
In the particular poem of “A Noiseless, Patient Spider,” Whitman explores the parallel of the human soul within the universe being like a spider on the edge of “a little promontory.” When I first had read the poem, my first thoughts of the spider went to the bolas spider, which sits on a promontory-like place and swings around a gossamer thread line much like a lasso or a fisherman. (Yeah, the biology major is becoming evident. If my description isn’t that great, try looking up a video of it on YouTube.) I thought to myself, perhaps the “unreeling” and “explor[ing] the vacant vast surrounding” would be accomplished like the bolas spider: by swinging around a line in an attempt to catch hold of prey or even a distant object.
However, when we discussed it in class, I thoughtfully adopted the idea that it was (futilely) attempting to grasp onto an object in order to form a web. Particularly looking at lines four and five, it is clear that the spider appears to try and try again to produce some filament with which to explore and bridge the vast expanse upon which it sat upon the brink.
My idea of the parallel is that the human soul tries to find purpose in a seemingly purposeless universe. Many people– atheists, agnostics, and Christians alike– all wish to find meaning and purpose in this vast universe in which we live. The soul amongst the “measureless oceans of space,/Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them…” It seems like the connection between the spheres is a lot like the human condition: 1) humans trying to find meaning and 2) humans attempting to reach out to other humans.
However, it is clear that Whitman (along with myself) believes that it is not an easy process. Throughout the poem, he uses vocabulary like “patient,” “filament, filament, filament,” “Ever unreeling,” “ever tirelessly,” and “Ceaselessly.” It seems that the process of finding meaning is an ongoing process; perhaps a lifelong process. And like many others have said, the “gossamer thread” that “catch[es] somewhere” implies a fragility in bridging the gap between our existence and our purpose. It is something to be searched for, and when found, something that is not to be taken lightly or for granted.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:06 pm
I feel as though this poem describes so vividly and well the creation of a web from single strands that a spider spins. It parallels life and the soul’s search for connections in order to live. Even though the search is continuous, it seems as though the spider, as well as the soul, is content in where they are at and accept the continuous search. We are able to pull out from the poem that everything within it is continuous from the mentioning of filament after filament after filament being laid down. As well as the theme of continuousness, there is also the theme of cntentment. For example, there is the title of the poem which contains the adjectives: noiseless and patient. I have never heard a spider described quite like that before, but obviously, Whitman wishes to portray a certain view about spiders, in order to then parallel adjectives of a soul.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I hate to be redundant, but what can I say that has not already been said? My first impression of this poem is “Wala” because I feel that the poet has captured a thought or a yearning that I have been trying to say out loud for so long. In light of the other poems I have read by him, I think that the spider probably represents another of God’s fingerprints, or maybe points to a similar message to that of Jesus’s teachings: KJV-R Matthew 6:28 And why are ye anxious for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow? they toil not, neither do they spin?…Wherefore, if God so clotheth the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
I love the way Whitman is able to start with a seemingly little insignificant thing like a spider, or a strand of grass, and take a leap-year jump to something as big as the universe. I fell like I can follow his strain of thought. I too often make seemingly giant steps, in that I can take just about any topic and some how manage to tie it to my philosophy and ultimately the power which is behind the universe.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
When I read this poem, I see it as more of a message to the need that he feels to be with someone else, whether it be a friend, a lover, a parent or a stranger or whatever. He speaks of being “detached” from something or someone, which would support the need for whoever it is that he is detached from, but he also speaks “Seeking the spheres to connect them”. I feel like, at least to me when I read the poem, that the “spheres” represented our human existance, and how we aren’t meant to go through the every day alone. Maybe that’s why he paints such a futile, bleak picture of the spider, alone, making its web. Perhaps the spider is not meant to be alone, and does not desire to be alone. Then Whitman goes on to write about his soul needing the bridge to be formed, and his anchor to hold, and the “gossamer thread you fling” to catch somewhere. Perhaps this speaks of the way we try to reach out to those around us. That’s what I see when I read it.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
I think that this poem is a good poem. It helped me better understand Walt Whitman as a poet. When I first read the poem I took it for the more literal meaning. A poem about a spider who spends his life tirelessly working at building a web all by himself, so that he can continue to live. I took the second stanza as a parallel between the speaker and the spider. The speaker is like the spider in that he/she is also endlessly searching for something in life that will bring completion. When I looked deeper into the poem I found that the poem is about the journey of the soul. I found that it is a never-ending, ceaseless journey. In the end of the poem, the speaker gives a hint that the journey may at some point come to an “end” or at least a peaceful state of being. Although, it seems to me that the journey of the soul will never come to a place of peace or reach an end. I think this because of the words “gossamer thread,” a thread extremely thin like a spider’s web. I think that the journey of the soul will always be a never ending cycle. According to what the speaker is suggesting, the journey will continue to go on due to the nature that it can be destroyed so quickly once it is achieved.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I also do not read a great deal of poetry. It isn’t because I don’t enjoy it, but more the inability to take the time to fully analyze and absorb the text and its message. Initially, after reading this poem I realized that just as the spider was seeking to construct a web, the speaker was attempting to find something that his soul could hold onto, some type of meaning to life. Both the spider and the speaker felt isolated and small compared to their vast surroundings. The spider was described as noiseless and patient, and the speaker reveals that it takes time and many attempts to establish oneself, to define oneself. After today’s discussion in class I imagined my own web and those things in my life that support my web. There are threads tied to family, friends, relationships, and causes; a web is formed. Time can cause these threads to break, perhaps a friendship fades or a relationship ends. The web needs to be secure, so another thread is thrown here or there until it holds onto something. Webs can grow and shrink, be torn and rebuilt. Our own personal web is our own world, and we seek to preserve it. Whitman describes how this will come to pass, a thread that will hold onto something, but makes clear that it will take time, effort, and patience to do so.
February 6th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
I find this sort of thing both frustrating and wonderful, its an interesting combination of emotions towards poetry, but i feel that it is true. One, i’ll start with the positive, i find poetry beautiful because it is a written piece of art and although it is set in stone it can be filled with any readers interpretation. Poetry can effect any body and if you look hard enough you can find something for everyone. For example just today in class it was amazing to hear all of the things different people brought to attention about The Noiseless Spider. However this is the part of poetry that i often become frustrated about. I don’t know for sure but i don’t think that Walt ever thought of all the things that people could manipulate his writing to mean. The fact that people can twist a very simple thing into basically anything they want is, at times, i feel a dishonor to the poem. Any exaggeration to a certain point, i feel is a bad thing. So like most things i thing that moderation is needed and that we must look at poetry with an eye of the authors original intention, i feel that it is to our liberty that we can relate to these pieces of art but not stretch them to points of silliness.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
After reading this only once, I recognized the connection Whitman made between the duty of spiders and the duty of our souls. But after reading this piece a few more times, I noticed that Whitman does not suggest that the spider sees its process of casting out filaments as a “duty” or a chore. Rather, for the spider is just a means of survival, practically an unconscious act that, when completed (that is, when the web is finally finished) promises shelter, food, safety, etc. But we as humans, Whitman suggests in the second stanza, may interpret a spider’s behavior as tiring, monotonous, perhaps even pointless. But our souls also ceasingly “muse, venture, throw–seek the spheres to connect them.” I interpreted this to mean that we are constantly thinking, breathing, moving, surviving. And we are as unconscious of this process as the spider is. It takes something like deliberately observing a spider’s daunting task of making a web, to bring the connection back to ourselves. I noticed that Whitman did this in the other pieces we read by him. Imagery, metaphors, and personification help us to identify with other aspects of nature that we may otherwise feel unrelated to.
February 6th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
When reading “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” I was actually confused. I was confused whether or not Walt Whitman was talking about himself, or a spider. I know the title makes it seem as though the poem was actually about a spider, but it seems to me that Walt Whitman is noticing his loneliness and notices how the spider seems alone in the world as well. But, a spider in nature is supposed to be alone, the spider does not feel depression from building his web by himself, it’s just what he has to do in life, whereas Walt Whitman, as well as humankind, needs human interaction. Whitman compares the isolation of himself and the spider, but realizes, it seems to me, that a spider is content being along, but Whitman, humans, are not. That is why he seems to cry out “O my soul,” almost begging to not be isolated and alone anymore.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
First of all I must confess that i have not had much experience with poetry. THis class is giving me an opportunity to explore and access this art. now, in regard to the poem by Walt Witman “A Noiseless Spider”; I thought it was a very interesting poems but i didnt find all the disscussion in class applicable to the poem. Some discussed that this poem was ment for a certian personality type or regarding a individual person. While we can all interperate poetry in our individual ways, i feel it is also important to asses the poems for the meaning they were intended for. There for while people all have thier own interpertations of poems they should not overshadow what the poem ment to the poet who wrote it. Our professor said that this poem can represent the human soul. THis si a very interesting interpertation. Especially when you think of the spiders actions as an adeveture like i did when i interperated the poem. This spider is consitintaly moving and making which seems pretty consturctive and daring to me. He moves across vast distances, this seems very adventurous and pionts to a meaning of life that is and adventure along the way. But this is my humble interpertation of Walt Witmans poem.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I am still stuck on the spheres.
Personally I read this poem with an optimistic mindset, but maybe that is only because of my current disposition and outlook on life and eternity. And yet what Stevie was saying in class today - throwing the poem into a dimmer light - struck something in me, and I had to look back at it several more times. And this is what I come to. One of the main pessimistic viewpoints on this pulls from the idea of isolation, which seems to translate into lonliness on the human side of the coin. But when I think about the journey of the soul… my soul does not sit dejected in a cave on a mountain, sending out threads to build a framework to hide itself in loneliness, guard itself from intrusion and catch any careless beings that stumble into the wrong shelter. Rather, my soul reaches out, pouring forth streams of energy - of love, and HOPE - in search of GOD, with whom it can share… everything. And then from there, from that major, base thread, my soul continues (tirelessly) to seek other souls to connect with - that is the closest I can get, at this point, to the spheres - and then my soul is bound by those cords to others, all around the Centerpiece.
And there are other spheres that my soul seeks to covenant with: moments of revelation and understanding, morsels of wisdom, glimpses of heaven and things eternal, wells of peace and joy and even boldness…
So yes, the work of the soul is eternal and requires patience and solitude, but, whether Whitman intended me to or not, I cannot ascribe to the position of resignation to an endless, fruitless work of the soul.
And yes, our souls sometimes work for years to create webworks that are fragile and can be shattered, but that only causes us to be more careful the next time to create a stronger framework, and find the right cornerstone to build upon, and make sure that that inital cord is strong enough to withstand any storm.
February 6th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Something I’ve noticed about many of Walt Whitman’s poems is his use of repetition. He will often use a word and then either repeat it or use synonyms for that word, to emphasize his point. “A Noiseless Patient Spider” is yet another one of his poems in which he utilizes repetition. He repeats the word “filament” three times, which presents us with an image of the spider shooting more and more filament from itself. This repetition in the first stanza is similar to his repeated idea in the second stanza of the soul “ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking.” In both images we get a sense of movement from the subject. The bridge is being built by the spider and by the soul.
I love Whitman’s word choice of a “ductile anchor” when describing the bridge being formed. These two words seem to contradict, which is precisely what I think Whitman was going for. Although his poem presents the reader with hope that a connection may be formed he is not promising a solid one. Instead Whitman suggests that, like the spider’s web, our connections are able to be broken, they are ductile anchors. But, also like the spiders web, we can rebuild and reconnect and continue searching in the “measureless oceans of space.”
February 7th, 2008 at 11:01 am
The speaker seems at first to be equating himself to the spider, since he says he and it are both “isolated,” “detached,” and “surrounded” by emptiness. My opinion though is that he is less like the spider than he thinks. The spider’s confidence and courage to boldly put itself out there for the sake of survival, progress, and meaning inspire the speaker to action and hope in his own life, but he has yet to work up that boldness. Also, the speaker seems to be searching for something more specific than the vague “meaning of life.” He is soul searching, maybe trying to work up the courage to put himself out there in society or in his relationships. The imagery sheds light on the fact that connection is the goal for him. When the bridge finally forms, he will have connection to something he never had before. When the anchor finally hooks, he will have a secure emotional foundation on which to rely. When the gossamer thread catches he will have a starting place on which to make decisions and a hopeful future. He is waiting for his life to begin, regardless of his age, because he obviously has been searching for some kind of definitive emotional, relational connection to give him something to live for.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I find “A Noiseless Patient Spider” to be a bit of a literary microcosm. Not only does it explore the literal life of a spider making a web, but it uses this image to make an engaging statement about human experience. A microcosm is very allegorical, it uses a story to describe the ways of the universe.
The first stanza of the poem is the story part, if you will. Here Walt Whitman gives his readers a very physical illustration, it’s so literal is can pass as something mundane and prosaic. The reader envisions a simple spider creating a web. “On a little promontory” it stands, working and weaving, “filament,” by filament by filament. Whitman is describing a common, everyday experience. It’s no uncommon sight to see a spider preserving its longeivity with a web. Yet the story itself is only one part of the poem, it’s there to serve a purpose, to tell the reader more.
I love the first line of the second stanza: “And you O my soul where you stand…” Whitman compares the simple life of a spider with the bottomless depths of the human spirit. He thoughtfully contemplates here, deliberating on everyday life to discover more about humanity, about the soul, about what it means to live the life one has been given. …And he seems rather mournful. Whitman seems to know a great deal about the asylum of the human spirit; at the end of the day, we are all alone. The spider was alone, working faithfully to maintain survival, and like the spider, the human is alone. We are “surrounded,” and yet “detached.” Everyday life and responsibility consumes the human existence, and yet we are are so thoroughly individual, so thoroughly alone… hoping that someday the “gossamer thread” we fling will “catch somewhere,” that our lives will amount to something so meaningful that it endures even after we are no more.
Indeed, the little spider represents a mightly microcosm. Like the spider, we work and persist in our livelihoods, and yet on the inside, we exist in utter solitude.
February 7th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” is a poem of deep thought, consideration, and creativity. As others have stated, it has great use of imagery and repetition, creating thought and images within our own minds.
The repetition of “filament” seemed to jump off the page itself, giving an idea of exhaustion and tedious work being done. Lines 4 and 5, if read in a slow and steady manner, could even give this illusion to mindless, ongoing work, just by noticing the number of syllables and the intricacy of the sounds. The lines, in themselves, are exhausting.
The comparison to his own soul is fantastic, in that he is lost himself…wondering why a spider can do such things with no mindset of achievement or reword. It is something the spider must do in order to live…plain and simple.
As jess had mentioned in class, I’m still in debate as to what the “spheres” are, and what it is that connects them. It seems to be something of personal value: Goals, admirations, people, ideas…faith? – something to think about.
I loved, in the second stanza, how he relates to this spider. To the human eye it is work with no meaning. In the 8th line he goes on a tangent using words that can relate to the spider and himself simultaneously. But again, this is a human observation. To the spider, the surroundings are vast and vacant and are in need of exploration, and the work has meaning and is essential to life.
February 7th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
I would never think to compare the yearning of the human soul to that of a spider. It is true that we often trek though life wondering what the end result will be. It is understandable if we should become anxious, and not want to be patient as the spider is. Whitman says that we should be similar to the spider who systematically explores its surroundings and doesn’t give up. I feel that the space that surrounds us often times overwhelming and we need to occupy ourselves until what we need finally comes to us. It often seems easy to give up because there is so much around us to explore and try before we find what we really want.
We set forth many dreams and ideas that we wish to come true. They are all fragile and delicate like the thread of a spider. We risk so much in putting those threads out there, yet we take the risks in order to find that one thing that will be our “ductile anchor”. Without the risks and exploration we would have nothing to experience and would feel alone in space.
February 7th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
It seems that almost every point of view and analysis of “A Noiseless Patient Spider” has been given and all of them seem to be interesting and valid. Along with some others, I have never been an avid reader or writer of poetry and even while reading Whitman’s poems I was having trouble grasping the beauty and what he was really trying to say. I definitely related to this poem more than the others, but at the same time I don’t think that I could have fully understood and begin to like this poem without the discussion and perspectives of others. I really appreciate seeing what other people think and relating it to my own opinions and thoughts. I, too, saw myself in this poem. I saw myself launching forth filament, filament, filament, and ceaselessly musing. Sometimes college seems like it is never ending, and like the work we do is always continuing. However, I see in this poem a hope for some sort of finality to all of the toiling. The last two lines seem to give a culmination (the bridge being formed, the anchor being held, the thread catching), which is encouraging. And yet at the same time, I see that these images also give the impression of the continuing on even after the partial finality of the toil. It really stood out to me in class when we discussed the meaning of these images, that once the bridge is formed, you go across it. Once a ductile anchor holds, it will eventually release again. Once a gossamer thread catches somewhere, it will break. Life is a continuous series of these events, and I think that Whitman had great insight into the soul, expressing deep and heartfelt emotions with his words.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
In reading this poem, I got an image of a troubled young man who is sitting somewhere alone, he had encountered some challenge in his life and is maybe meditating or praying. In the first stanza of the poem, he sees this spider who is diligently working on her web, struggling to make her filament stick to something so that she can weave a temporary home and catch some food. At times her efforts seem fruitless, but the man is inspired by her attempts and watches as she puts so much effort into her task. The man is maybe even awed by the spider and equates her work with his own. In the second stanza, he meditates further on the issue he is facing and prays for the patience that the spider has shown. Patience to wait for his own life to come together just like the spider’s web.
February 7th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I really feel like the poem is a metaphor for my life right now. I also feel that it can be a metaphor that many people can relate to. Many times as we go about our lives we are pushed to the edge, overloaded with stressful events that have consumed our being. We feel like giving up. We feel like there is no end to the madness and that we will never get through it or get out of it. We feel hopeless because we, as humans (or spiders), do not have the ability to do all things. This is when the divine intervention (ductile anchor) comes in.
God takes over and allows us to get through those hard times. He takes us to the other side. He allows us to finish our ‘webs,’ whatever they may be. I feel that our souls need that bridge to get across from the hopelessness side to the strong side. We need our filament (our hope and trust) to stick to something so that we may survive. We need that solid thing in our life that keeps us together and stable.
Maybe this is far reaching, but this is what I thought when I read the poem. I know many people have been in this same position. I have watched friend and classmates time and time again, go through this. Maybe just another lens to view the poem through.
February 7th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
While I agree that some of the spider’s work is necessary like some have said, I feel as though what the soul is truly searching for is something more. The work is monotonous, the overwhelming of the day to day. The spider is quiet and doesn’t complain because, well everyone must work to get bye. Yet, I get the sense that the spider is lost in the vastness of his work. I get so caught up in the business of what I am involved in that I lose myself and feel like my identity only lies in what I do rather than who I am. It’s almost like what I do becomes literally who I am. I can personally identify with this feeling as well. In an effort to find something more he pours himself into that great work; “filament, filament, filament, out of himself”. I also can feel myself sometimes pouring myself out into the tasks of the day but wanting more. The spider’s soul, as is mine, is searching for something to grasp onto, something for his gossamer thread to catch.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I can’t stop thinking about the fragility of each individual filament—and how a web is not constructed of just one strand, but of many. In Whitman’s poem, many small and insufficient things (the filaments) come together to form one unified symbol of wholeness and arrival (the web). Whitman doesn’t repeat the word “filament” for no reason, so I have to believe that he’s making a point. But what is it? Is he contrasting the delicate world of nature with the stable and overpowering world of society? Is he hinting at the idea that our worldview, our perspective is formed by the combining of lots of small independently inadequate ideas—and that only in the synthesis and evaluation of these ideas can we form our own opinions, “connecting the spheres”? And how do we know for sure what Whitman is trying to say?
I’m a ministry major, and I’m not used to reading things that exist simply for beauty or personal expression; rather, the things I typically read ultimately have some hermeneutic meaning. What is the application of this idea? What does this mean for me? So far poems seem to annoy me because I can’t immediately find the link to the real-life application.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
To be honest, I have never really gotten into poetry. But when I read this poem, it seemed to reach me on a far, far, deeper level than I would have thought. I like to think of it more on a spiritual level. I do not know if it was Whitman’s intent to make it look this way, but I couldn’t help but imagining humanity on a spiritual level longing for something many don’t have. I like to imagine that we are constantly searching (launching filaments) for happiness in every direction but not finding any. And this is where I love Whitman’s optimism, until one day when we find it and built that bridge to the ultimate happiness (God’s love). And when it mentions the “Ductile Anchor” I think of how our connection with God may not be permanent because we as humans are prone to wonder. Well that’s my take on it anyway.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” is a poem of deep thought, consideration, and creativity. As others have stated, it has great use of imagery and repetition, creating thought and images within our own minds.
The repetition of “filament” seemed to jump off the page itself, giving an idea of exhaustion and tedious work being done. Lines 4 and 5, if read in a slow and steady manner, could even give this illusion to mindless, ongoing work, just by noticing the number of syllables and the intricacy of the sounds. The lines, in themselves, are exhausting.
The comparison to his own soul is fantastic, in that he is lost himself…wondering why a spider can do such things with no mindset of achievement or reword. It is something the spider must do in order to live…plain and simple.
As jess had mentioned in class, I’m still in debate as to what the “spheres” are, and what it is that connects them. It seems to be something of personal value: Goals, admirations, people, ideas…faith? – something to think about.
I loved, in the second stanza, how he relates to this spider. To the human eye it is work with no meaning. In the 8th line he goes on a tangent using words that can relate to the spider and himself simultaneously. But again, this is a human observation. To the spider, the surroundings are vast and vacant and are in need of exploration, and the work has meaning and is essential to life.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:38 am
When I first read “A Noiseless Patient Spider” I appreciated it to a certain extent, but I didn’t grasp it’s meaning at a very deep level. It was only after reading it several times that I began to acheive this deeper and fuller understanding. The themes of loneliness and futility found in the poem certainly resonated with me, but an additional, less obvious theme which I noted was the “noiseless” nature of the spider. The spider is not loud and seeking to inform others of all the work which he is diligently performing. Instead, he is content to keep his labor a secret. True to the underlying analogy, this apsect of the spider also carries over to the human soul. Quite often we do not publish abroad our deepest musings, ponderings, and struggles. Instead we ourselves bear their full weight in silence and solitude. While this may not be the best response for all of life’s issues, I do think that there is a legitimate place for a “noiseless” attitude which displays humility. Perhaps as a result of this quite humility, and the perspective it gives us on both our own work and the labors of others, we may be able to better muse regarding deeper connections and meaning. Perhaps we will be able to better discover the spheres which will connect our own unorganized, unending thoughts.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:26 am
A few aspects of “A Noiseless Patient Spider” that I immediately after reading the poem is: the repetition of words, calm rhythm, and the connection between the spider’s web and his soul. I liked this poem. After memorizing it in class made me feel connected to it and really understand its deeper meaning. I took notes on this poem as I read and these are a few things I wrote down. A spider web and a soul are both tentative and delicate. The toiling within this poem is extremely tiring, however, there are moments where it is musing (relaxing or a time of meditation). This poem stresses our interdependency because it is obvious that the spider is looking to connect to something or someone, just like a soul might. A spider web is made up of tiny intricate designs and is valuable; however, one thing could cause the whole thing to break. I love when there is a connection between something tangible and something abstract, this poem defiantly connects the two and I love that. Just like when a spider web gets messed up there is a need to rebuild it, just like in life. People keep building, for there is always the next challenge. I have one question about this poem: Does Walt Whitman think he’s God? We talked a little bit about this on class on Wednesday. Does he think he is a man of great importance?
February 8th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I was struck by the parallels between entirely different forms of God’s creation in this poem. Whitman compares a spider - to us, a small and insignificant creature - to a human being’s soul. He makes observations about the similarities between two seemingly different beings in our daily struggles and ways of life.
The repetition of words in the stanza about the spider, such as “filament” and “ever” implies a difficult and time consuming task. By discussing the creation of a web by the spider, he is likening the necessary duty of a spider to our nature which causes us to ask questions, to ponder the meaning of life and a reason to live.
There are most definitely two ways to approach this poem, and I like to look at it in an optimistic fashion, one that says that while we are constantly musing and seeking, we, in some form or another, find an answer through asking the questions, in the same way that the spider, who diligently throws filament after filament eventually creates a web.
I think the poem was a beautiful way to unite creation and to provide hope for mankind in our times of impatience and frustration.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:35 am
The poem, “A Noiseless Patient Spider” in my opinion is comparing Whitman’s soul to the spider, as they both attempt to reach across the unknown barrier detached from there soul to find a connection in life. However, more directly the poet is comparing the literal idea of the spider to the figurative idea of the soul. The last couplet is a conclusion in which the poem expresses his hope through the word “till” that he might one day manage to make the connection he is seeking, just as the spider will one day spin his web.
On the other hand I do not really know for sure that the speaker is really Whitman. I am so focused on the central metaphor of the poem that I do not clearly interpret the theme. Yet, a possible theme for this poem could be that while searching for something you keep throwing out hopes that you will make the connection that will allow you to rise above the material world and know something about the spider.
In class we talked about how Whitman likes to use word repetition in his poems to get his point across. I can relate to his style because I tend to repeat myself either by explaining something or just talking casually. Whitman’s main point standout and the use of repetition helps define the importance of what his message is trying to say.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:41 am
From the little amount of poetry knowledge I have, Walt Whitman’s name sounds familiar. Before I even read the poem, I knew its meaning and insight must be profound and carefuly interpreted. I’m not sure if my careful interpretation of the poem is unfortunate, only because I think I’m careful because I recognize the author’s name?
Anyway, I enjoyed reading this poem. I love the description of a quiet, still spider remaining ever patient in hopes of connecting with something. Within the spider, it has the ability to laught fourth its thread. The thread in itself is physically fradgile. Witman writes of oceans of space, which his tread must cross. I view the thread as a parallel to one’s soul. The soul must continually attempt to reach out to its surroundings to solidify a bridge. This task, though tedious, is possible, and one day the “anchor” will hold. I think Walt Whitman is speaking about finding a connection for his soul. A place to relate with, so he can find fulfillment. And while he patiently waits, there’s a satisfaction found in hope. His hope exisists, and he knows that one day his sould will connect, just as the spider’s filament attaches.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:41 am
From the perspective of someone who has very little experience with poetry, like me, it seems to me that this is a poem about being patient with life and waiting for the right things to come your way. The author observed how the spider stood silently until despite its isolated state, and its vast surroundings. The author points out at the end of the first half and in the entire second half that one needs to put forth an effort. It is almost like the author says that on needs to make an effort and try like the spider does by continually launching forth filament until it forms a good bridge, a ductile anchor, a gossamer thread, that catches. I believe the last phrase of O my soul shows how deeply this spider touched the observer and author of this piece of poetry. I believe the direct correlation the author made between this spider and his own took him by surprise and give him reference for life.
February 8th, 2008 at 10:46 am
The title alone instantly took me back to my youth. The Noiseless Patient Spider. The Itsy Bitsy Spider. See the similarity? Maybe it’s because I never liked spiders as a girl but I always thought The Itsy Bitsy Spider was a pointless song for a child to memorize and repeat. A spider went up a water spout, then it rains, he almost drowns, the sun comes out and he dries up and goes back up the water spout. The spider almost dies then doesn’t even learn his lesson to take an alternate route that wouldn’t result in possible death in the case of rain. Thank you, I needed to get that off my chest. I wanted you to realize why I instantly thought negative thoughts when I opened my book to this poem. I thought it would be a frivolous story of a stupid spider. Well, I was wrong. I don’t think it is frivolous at all. I am currently at a time in my life of dramatic change. I may not find that anchor to hold or a bridge to form for awhile. But, that doesn’t mean the answers aren’t out there. The poem offers a sense of hope and peace with the repetition of “till”. It will happen, I just have to wait. I will keep flinging my gossamer thread, trying new things, and eventually it will catch somewhere and I will find a passion and a love that will fill my soul.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
I am amazed at how A Noiseless Patient Spider can bring out so many different feelings. At first reading this poem, I was in awe of how well Walt Whitman draws the metaphore for life. Though this poem is filled with hope, after reading and studying it many times over I began to become more anxious. The word EVER in the last line of the first stanza hits me very deeply. It gives me an image of life as an endless, tiresome struggle that will not cease. And though it is very necessary that we continue to seek ways to connect with life, our seeking will never end. And bridges do break, and sometimes our thread will hold and then give. And even if we find that we have a place to hold on to, I hope that it was even the right decision to even try to hold to that place. The vastness of space that Walt Whitman creates is very deafening. It creates excitment and creativity, but also brings about many more decisions. I do not know if any of this makes sense. I am a senior and in a place in my life where important decisions have to be made, but I do not know which ones to make. And the vastness of life and the possibilities that I can pursue seem to only make matters worse. Like not knowing what toothbrush to buy because there are hundreds of them. I just feel like there are too many options making life more complicated than it needs to be. I might view this poem optimistically in the future, but my position in life is almost keeping me from being able to do so now. This poem makes me want to be the spider, who is content with the woven web and just waiting for life to hit it.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Noiseless and patient…the two words that stuck with me the most. I clearly remember comparing myself to that lonely spider when reading this poem. But noiseless and patient are definately not two words that I would use when discribing my life. The thoughts of adapting to new surroundings and rebuilding your life in an unfamiliar place, were familiar thoughts, in which I wasn’t quite ready to face again. I saw myself as the spider and the web as my life. Each filament becoming a days length, and creating an important addition to the whole spectrum in which we call our lifetime. Many of us hoped for a friend for this spider. Why was he so alone? This made me wonder about my relationships with friend and loved ones. At some point we all realize no matter how great the “social aspect” may be, that goals and aspirations still exist, and for me- I have to accomplish as much as I can…alone. I had a friend once tell me that my life seems to go in many different paths, but none of which are the right one. Its like I’m weaving my own intricate web that seems to be going nowhere; but without it, I can’t survive. As Rachel said, I would have never placed noiseless and patient in the same sentence with a spider, but I did thoroughly enjoy the undescribable feeling I got when reading this poem. I feel that I too must live my life in a noiseless and patient mannor, such as the spider did.
~Patience is a virtue…and life only happens once.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
In the poem “A Noiseless Patient Spider”, Walt Whitman uses a spider and more specifically a spider making a web to describe our soul’s journey. Many times we feel alone in this world and almost like nobody can connect with us. Whitman makes it clear that spiders are isolated and also have vacant, vast surroundings. Whitman also uses many action words throughout the poem to indicate that the soul’s journey is never completed. There is always something more that we are searching for. Just like a spider’s web which is often destroyed and rarely finished, our soul continues to seek out completion.
The tone of the poem feels long and depressing, yet it is turned towards hopeful at the end. Whitman uses the word ‘till’ instead of if or maybe to get his point across. His point that our soul will reach its destination, our bridge will form, our anchor will hold, and the thread we fling will eventually catch. This is an extremely reassuring ending for the reader.
Whitman also uses lots of repetition throughout the poem to help get his point across. He uses the word filament three times in a row to show how a spider’s life is always doing the same thing. Our souls are also continually searching and attempting to be completed. Whitman also uses the word ‘ever’ to show power in the length of his description. Ever means always, so both a spider and our soul never cease along the journey.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
This poem tears me in two different directions. One that is the deeper meaning of the poem, the journey of a lonely soul, which is exemplified by saying the spider stood isolated. The fact that the soul is persistent in working, tirelessly towards one thing, but doing it all alone by itself. Giving the idea of the huge universe filled with empty space, using the word “vast”, giving isolated more depth and understanding that our souls are alone in their journey, in pouring out everything we have until finally something becomes of our hard work. Whitman shows through this short poem his wanting to understand the meaning of death, the soul and things of that nature in my mind. However how can I not sit back and question the meaning of the poem I just gave when it is a spiders nature to be alone, to cast a web, to get food, to work tirelessly. Can I not question that it is also the souls purpose to become isolated in the great universe, to pour itself out for one goal, even though unlike spiders a human has choices and decisions to contemplate, but then what would be the souls purpose, why would we have souls? It’s very hard to take one side or the other, when there are good points to each.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
This poem is a beautiful piece of art; it somehow manages to capture the human condition in a concise manner without going into superfluous and exceedingly flowery language. The verbs are very specific and convey much action.
Many people have commented on the struggle of the soul as represented by the spider’s ceaseless attempts to form a bridge to make a connection. There is something quite earnest in Whitman’s writing–the verbs used in the eighth line are particularly indicative of this–musing, venturing and throwing. Musing is more than just thinking-it is a state of serious contemplation. Venturing is also interesting; Whitman could have chosen the word “exploring” or “discovering” or something similar; however, there is a certain sense of confidence, a mission that the spider (and in this case, the soul) is on. Finally, throwing is an action that is very deliberate. Whitman could have used “tossing” or a similar verb but instead he chooses a word that is both nonviolent (as in shooting) and energy-expending. The earnest tone is amplified by his choice of words.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
I definitely noticed Whitman’s use of repetition as well. Through the use of repetition in “A Noiseless Patient Spider” Whitman emphasizes the rather large task the spider has before her. He repeats the word filament three times. It’s amazing to me how large this spider’s task seems to be but how willing she is to just continue on despite that fact. She continues to give so much of herself without ceasing. Whitman continues on to talk about the soul and the journey every soul faces. Much like the spider, in all of its isolation, we often find ourselves “surrounded in measureless oceans of space.” Also, like the spider, we must continue to search and to build bridges and make connections because that’s life. It makes me realize that even when I feel very much like the spider, I just need to remember to keep giving of myself because eventually, I’m going to be able to those connections with other souls. I think we can all connect to Whitman’s words differently based on how we’re feeling. That’s why I really like this poem. I am able to take a more optimistic stance through Whitman’s words where others may take a more pessimistic approach.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
What a wonderful poem,
It was so interesting listening to David give his explanation on “Wild Nights—Wild Nights,” and how differently I perceived this poem. When I read this poem, it quickly became apparent to me that “Wild Nights” was talking about intimacy between a man and woman. So beautifully she draws this picture of a long awaited passionate time of intimacy. For myself as a newlywed, it was even more symbolic of the actual journey of two lovers who do not know, yet, of each other’s existence and are therefore at sea (the vast world) seeking this yet unrevealed love, when finally, after long years of seeking each other, the ships come to bay where they can rest, no longer needing compass or chart to guide them, for they have found home with their lover. She then goes on to describe the period after the long journey. The ship is no longer at risk of getting lost, for it can now withstand any wind—all manageable in light of love.
February 15th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Well it’s cool that this is the second time I have to rewrite this response because I didn’t write my email address in the appropriate box. First of all I’d like to say I thought David did a great job at presenting the poem “Hope is the thing with feathers” by Emily Dickinson. He brought up a lot of good points and ideas that I had never thought about. I took notes as she spoke and wrote down some of my own images and opinions about the poem. Hope is a fragile tune, yet it has a power, and in the last line of this poem it is given freely. I thought it was interesting what was said about labor pains. Poetry, art, and creation can all be painful processes that give birth to something special and new. I thought it was interesting that gale means storm. A sore storm can easily abash a little bird. My image was of a bird with music notes coming out of its mouth. I thought of the bird as God within each of us. And he never stops singing and giving us hope. Hope comes as needed to the person who needs it. There are those storms in life that keep us searching and keep us going. This was a poem with a unique metaphor. After we discussed this poem I realized the importance of metaphor in poems and … in life!
February 15th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
“Wild Nights-Wild Nights!”- by Emily Dickinson was not the easiest poem to understand but the presentation helped me out greatly. I agree that she is trying to get to the heart of passion, there is a sense that she is trying to control the passion by saying “You’re done”. This is a poem of rhyming and meter. It’s about the fight of control of the passion. Often in literature the sea equals passion. We talked about how that it totally unattainable. I also wrote down notes about the Physical and the emotional aspects of Passion. The emotion in this poem is just overpowering. It is a good capture to how passion really feels. Emily Dickinson is good at describing. Although she can be hard to understand at times, she is good at explaining feelings and emotion! I actually didn’t write down anything about the physical part of the poem in my notes. But I agree that the sea is being compared to this passion that she talks about. I sensed a bit of control and emotion throughout the poem.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
“A noiseless patient spider” reeks of several strong emotions. The first which is evident to me is this feeling of trying….working, progressing, etc. The narrator sees this spider involved in his work in an almost infinite manner, as if this spider has been and will forever be doing exactly what he is doing in this moment. It uses language like “ever unreeling” and “ever tirelessly speeding” to convey a very drawn out and eternal process. The question that arises is whether or not this “job” or work will ever be completed. This brings about the second emotion, which nearly contradicts the third. I observe a great deal of futility in this poem. It is as if the narrator is aware of how hard the spider is working but nonetheless realizes that in the end he really hasn’t achieved anything. At the same time, this futility demonstrates the nobility of the spider - he’s willing to work tirelessly to produce something that others see no value in.