FACING WEST FROM CALIFORNIA'S SHORES
by: Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
Facing west from California's shores,
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled;
For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,
From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero,
From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,
Long having wander'd since, round the earth having wander'd,
Now I face home again, very pleas'd and joyous,
(But where is what I started for so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?)
Inquiring, tireless, seeking what is yet unfound,
I, a child, very old, over waves, towards the house of maternity, the land of migrations, look afar,
Look off the shores of my Western sea, the circle almost circled;
For starting westward from Hindustan, from the vales of Kashmere,
From Asia, from the north, from the God, the sage, and the hero,
From the south, from the flowery peninsulas and the spice islands,
Long having wander'd since, round the earth having wander'd,
Now I face home again, very pleas'd and joyous,
(But where is what I started for so long ago? And why is it yet unfound?)
© 2002 Poetry-Archive.com
ANALYSIS:
This poem is about the end of a journey, that journey being life. This poem mentions different places that one would visit over the course of a lifetime. The picture that I chose was a picture of land from a distance out at sea but the land was visible and it shows that the voyage is almost over. I think that one is relieved when they see land after a long journey at sea. The picture and the poem are related by what they convey. They both is some way show the end of a voyage or some sort of journey.
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