Passage to India by Walt Whitman Questions Answers[5]
Short Essay Type Questions with Answers
Q. 1. How does India appeal to Whitman in his poem Passage to India?
Ans. According to Whitman, India is a concept that represents a type of unifying force whereby all consciousness can find common ground. Whitman does not specify this in terms of India as a nation. Rather, he looks to India as the same type of symbol that Columbus saw it as when he commenced his voyage. Remember that Columbus lands in what is now called “America” thinking that he landed in India.
It is here where Whitman finds connection and relevance. Columbus landing in “India” – represents a realm where new horizons can be created and where possibilities are endless, as human freedom is expanded beyond measure. It is here where Whitman sees India as a representation of all that is possible. The idea of a “passage to India” is one where individuals revel in the capacity of what can be done. The promises and possibilities of a limitless future lies at the very essence of what Whitman sees as “India.” This is something that Whitman sees as transcendent and universal.
0.2. The past – the infinite greatness of the past: For what is the present after all but a growth out of the past? Explain with reference to the context.
Ans. These lines suggest the quality of time. There is no beginning nor middle, nor end to Time. It is boundless. The past, present and future are interconnected, forming an endless chain. Whitman while stressing the scientific advancement in the poem Passage to India, emphasizes the validity and importance of the past of any country. A sound past can help the present to have firm foundation over which a better future could be built.
The scientific progress the poet feels is not a sudden discovery, but it is a result of thorough study and findings from the past. If a modern man may he be a scientist, a scholar, or an engineer – gains or motivates his country towards some progress, it would be mainly due to the rich heritage of the greatness of the past. Hence the present is a picture which is a result of the greatness of the past. Hence, the present is a picture which is result of the past glory or ‘a growth out of the past”.
Q. 3. Bridging the three or four thousand miles of land travel, Tying the Eastern to the Western sea, The road between Europe and Asia. Explain with reference to the context.
Ans. . These lines give evidence of the Pacific railroad laid. While traversing it, the poet finds it bridged the four thousand miles of land travel ‘trying the Eastern to the Western sea’. In doing it, he crosses the Rivers, the plains of Laramie, the deserts, the Monument Mountain, the Eagle’s Nest, the Humbold range. The Tahoe Lake etc. he enjoys all the scenes, which life presents.
The railroad had brought the East and the West nearer. Similarly Europe and Asia are brought nearer. He is happy that people their respective cultures are brought nearer. There could be an intellectual cultural exchange, between people of different nations and different countries. Technology made these pathways easier says Whitman in his ‘Passage to India’. The purpose of man was thus achieved.
Q. 4. Is A Passage to India a romantic poem?
Ans. Whitman’s poetry is romantic in both its subject matter and its language. Whitman is concerned with cataloguing the new America he sees growing around him. We see Whitman breaking new ground in both subject matter and diction. The title suggests that the setting of the poem can be India. But it is not true. India is here used as a metaphor. The poem is set throughout time. Remoteness in time and space is denoted in the poem. As remoteness is the essence of romanticism, it is thoroughly a romantic poem.
Whitman’s use of imagery in this poem reveals his own connection to his environment, and shows how receptive he is to sensory information. He inspires all the senses in his work because he makes it to be experiential and impactful beyond words on a page. Rhythm is created through the use of other poetic devices, including repetition, alliteration, and other sound devices. The form of Whitman’s poetry matches the content.
Q. 5. Justify the themes of globalization and space exploration in Passage to India.
Ans. Walt Whitman’s Passage to India can be regarded as a poem that celebrates globalization and space exploration. While globalization is a much easier parallel to make, space exploration needs much interpretation to support……
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