I Sit and Look Out

1. Consider the first three specific people the speaker observes: the young men, the mother, and the wife. Speculate about the cause of each person’s misery. What kinds of “deeds done” (line 4) might the young men be “at anguish” (3) and “remorseful” (4) about? In what ways has the mother been misused by her children? In what ways may the wife have been misused by her husband? Why might Whitman have left the specific causes of suffering somewhat open to interpretation?

2. Think about the grammatical structure of the poem’s long sentences. How does Whitman connect clauses? Consider punctuation and use of conjunctions as you form your answer. How do the sentence structures emphasize the theme of equality?

3. What is the overall tone of the poem? Choose three words to describe the tone. Although the words you choose will likely be negative, does the poem as a whole offer any kind of positive message? Consider the speaker’s act of recording his observations as you formulate your answer.

4. As a class, watch this 5-minute film, which provides a visual, modern-day interpretation of Whitman’s poem as it is read aloud (Note: the film contains some violent images and mentions of suicide and rape).