Are you the new person drawn toward me?

Walt Whitman

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1860

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Summary

Background

Poem Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Symbols & Motifs

Facade

“Facade” has two common definitions (Line 7). The first is “the front of a building” referring to the “face of a building given special architectural treatment” (“facade.” Merriam-Webster, 2022). Typically, the outside of certain buildings are dressed up to draw in customers and clients, like shop windows being filled with the newest and best products. However, what a building looks like on the outside, the “face value” of the building, may not always be representative of what it’s really like on the inside. A shop owner may put a lot of effort into designing a storefront, but the inside may be filthy and infested. The term “facade” can carry a negative connotation, as it implies someone or something is inauthentic and disingenuous. They are not showing what is truly inside of them. This interpretation fits with the second meaning of “facade,” which is “a false, superficial, or artificial appearance or effect” (“facade.” Merriam-Webster, 2022). Here again is the implication that the exterior of a person, place, or thing does not match up with its true identity. Rather, what individuals initially perceive is merely a veneer and a deception. Readers see this concept of “facade” come into play in Whitman’s poem when the addressee reads the “ideal” (Line 3) into the speaker and assumes them to be “trusty and faithful” (Line 6). The stranger sees just the outside, the exterior of who the speaker could be, as opposed to who they really are on the inside.

Ground

When one thinks of the “ground,” they think of a solid foundation and of stability. There are many idiomatic expressions that connect these notions together. For example, “Keep your feet on the ground” means to “be a sensible and practical person,” to stay calm and controlled (“have/keep one’s feet on the ground.” Merriam-Webster, 2022). If someone is “grounded,” they are “mentally and emotionally stable; admirably sensible, realistic, and unpretentious” (“grounded.” Merriam-Webster, 2022). The speaker questions the stranger’s reason using this symbolism of the “ground.” They ask whether the addressee assumes they are “advancing on real ground” (Line 8). “Real ground” implies thinking or assumptions that are founded and backed up by some form of evidence or truth. However, the speaker questions the validity of this “real ground” and ends up shaking it like an earthquake for both the stranger and the reader.

Illusion

Voltaire once said, “Illusion is the first of all pleasures.” Illusion and desire are often directly related. People have a tendency to see what they want to see. An illusion can be defined as “a misleading image presented to the vision” or “something that deceives or misleads intellectually” (“illusion.” Merriam-Webster, 2022). The addressee in the poem has their own misleading image of the speaker they hold onto. They see the speaker as “smooth and tolerant” (Line 7) and as a “real heroic man” (Line 8). The stranger is deceived by themselves and by their hopes for who the speaker actually is and what this could mean for themselves. Perhaps they hope to gain the “lover” whom they’ve always dreamed of. The speaker sees the stranger for who they really are—a “dreamer” (Line 9). They know the addressee is basing their life on “maya” (Line 9) and on dust as opposed to solid “ground” (Line 8).