"Not the Pilot" Analysis

"Not the Pilot" by Walt Whitman is about the burden a poet faces in describing America in a poem. As most people who know about Whitman are aware, Whitman was very patriotic. A good example of his patriotism is the well known poem "O Captain! My Captain!" which is about President Lincoln. In this poem Whitman is expressing his concern that he may not be good enough to write a poem that can fully encompass the American spirit. After reading some of his other, more egotistical works, this uncertainty was a nice change of pace for Whitman. I write sometimes myself, so I can see where Whitman is coming from when he writes, "More than I have charged myself, heeded or unheeded, to compose a march for these States" (Whitman) and that Whitman is a bit overwhelmed by the task at hand.
His use of imagery is very effective in painting a scene of a struggle. His bold language also helped make an imprint in my mind. "Not the pilot has charged himself to bring his ship into port, though beaten back and many times baffled" (Whitman) really stuck out, and it seemed really memorable to me.
In this poem, Whitman is saying that even though pilots and pathfinders' jobs are daunting, the poet's job is even more so. The pilot's task has been done before, as well as the pathfinder's. Poets have yet to succeed in their quest "to compose a march for these States, For a battle-call, rousing to arms if need be, years, centuries hence." (Whitman). Obviously, poets can be remembered for centuries after they are alive. Fine examples include Homer and Dante. I do not think this is exactly what Whitman is talking about here. I think he means the poem. The one that says exactly the right thing and lasts forever. The ultimate poem.
Surprisingly, almost none of Whitman's usual themes are present in "Not the Pilot". There is really no mention of love of any kind in this poem. Not even any that you could find between the lines. None of Whitman's then-shocking musings on homosexuality are present. Religion is not present, even in metaphoric form. Jesus cannot be substituted for the narrator at this time like He is in many of Whitman's other poems. Nature is not disscussed either, as it is in a few of Whitman's other poems. The only usual characteristic is Whitman's almost obnoxious love of America that is present in many of his poems.
At first, I did not understand this poem very well because all I could think of was an epic war adventure. I read an analysis by Charles Oliver that helped me to understand that this poem was about writing a poem. I thought that this poem was pretty good and got Whitman's message across effectively. It was a plus that he managed to do so in so few words as well. "Not the Pilot" is short, but it is still effective in getting Whitman's frustration across to the reader.

Oliver, Charles M. "'Not the Pilot'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 8 March 2011. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW296&SingleRecord=True.

Whitman, Walt. "NOT THE PILOT. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892])." The Walt Whitman Archive. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. .