BY WALT WHITMAN
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.
"A Noiseless Patient Spider" is a poem by Walt Whitman that explores themes of isolation, perseverance, and the search for meaning in the vastness of the universe. The poem uses vivid imagery to depict a spider spinning its web and a soul seeking connections. Whitman draws parallels between the spider’s efforts to connect its web to solid anchors and the human soul’s quest for connections in the vastness of existence. Through the spider’s tenacity and the soul’s relentless pursuit, the poem reflects on the human need for connection and the resilience required to find meaning and purpose in a seemingly indifferent world.
Summary and Analysis
“A Noiseless Patient Spider” explores the relationship between the individual self and the larger world. The poem depicts a spider that is isolated in space but actively sending filaments "out of itself," seeking connection as it builds its web. This spider becomes an extended metaphor for the speaker’s soul, which is likewise isolated and working to find a sense of connection. Ultimately, the poem suggests that in spite of the loneliness people might experience as individuals, the work of the soul is to constantly seek and make connections—however daunting such a task may be.
The speaker begins by describing the spider as “isolated” and in a “vacant vast surrounding,” essentially meaning it’s all by itself as far as the eye can see. Yet the spider is also described as “patient” and “tireless” as it “explore[s]” its surroundings and makes its web. It “launch[es] forth” filament after filament into this unknown space, indicating its willingness to put itself out there, as it were—something the poem thus implies is an invaluable part of establishing meaningful connections; after all, the spider can’t expect the web to build itself.(more)
