A Song By Whitman

"Afoot and light hearted, I take to the open road,.. "Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman engages my mind each time I see this commercial and hear these words on television. To get a more lasting reason for remembering this poem, pull it up and hear it read aloud taking about ten minutes.

Whitman lived in an earlier century but words of his wisdom erupt in valuable thoughts no matter the century they were written in. Walt's poems are best appreciated when read aloud because, by that, the cadence of his composition shines through. To me, his beat hammers throughout his works and sets him off against most other poets of his time. The art form of his poetics once revered by multitudes has withered over time but thanks to this commercial poetry has begun a resurgence. Maybe poetry will be used more as year go by to sell products, or at least, I hope so.

Ronald C. Downie