Chapter 2.1 — Animals

The poet says he could change his way of life and live among animals instead, because animals are calm and self-composed. He could stand and watch them for hours together.

He has observed that animals do not feel anxious or troubled, and they do not keep trying to improve their condition. They never complain mournfully about how they live. They do not lie awake at night regretting their sins. They do not disturb the poet by endlessly discussing their duty to God. Not a single animal seems dissatisfied. None of them behaves foolishly or madly chases after owning possessions. No animal kneels before another in worship, nor do they worship any ancestor that lived centuries ago.

Animals are neither overjoyed nor unhappy about the state of the whole world. They express their bond with the poet in a simple way, and he, in turn, accepts them just as they are.

Animals show the poet clear signs of qualities such as innocence and simplicity, and their behaviour reveals how naturally these qualities belong to them.

The poet wonders where the animals got these tokens from.

He also wonders whether mankind (represented by the poet himself) once possessed these same qualities long ago, and then, over time, carelessly gave them up.

The poem ‘Animals’ is written by the poet Walt Whitman. It is written in free verse and does not follow any fixed rhyme scheme. My favourite line in the poem is “They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,” as it is deeply meaningful and carries a strong moral message. The central idea of the poem is about how we should live our lives: the poet wishes he could be an animal, because animals live without tension or worry, do not work hard to acquire possessions, and do not cry over their condition. The poem uses figures of speech such as Alliteration, Repetition, Hyperbole, Metaphor, and Personification to make it more effective. It is highly effective overall, and its tone is optimistic about life, while its language remains simple yet meaningful. Since animals do not commit sins, they do not lie awake at night in fear of them, nor do they discuss their duty to God; instead, they are content with what they have and do not chase after possessions madly, and they do not bow before one another, treating each other as equals, with none superior to another. I like this poem very much, and I find the poet’s thoughts inspiring, as he shows us how we should live — like animals, treating everyone equally and with respect — and tells us that we should not regret or feel upset about what we have, but should live happily and with optimism.