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O Me O Life.

The poem 'O Me! O Life!' by Walt Whitman explores the search for meaning and purpose in life amidst struggles and disappointments. It emphasizes the potential for individuals to make meaningful contributions to the world, despite feelings of foolishness and faithlessness. Ultimately, the poem conveys a message of hope, encouraging readers to find significance in their existence and the ongoing drama of life.

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masumislamsiyam
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41 views1 page

O Me O Life.

The poem 'O Me! O Life!' by Walt Whitman explores the search for meaning and purpose in life amidst struggles and disappointments. It emphasizes the potential for individuals to make meaningful contributions to the world, despite feelings of foolishness and faithlessness. Ultimately, the poem conveys a message of hope, encouraging readers to find significance in their existence and the ongoing drama of life.

Uploaded by

masumislamsiyam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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O Me! O Life!

Walt Whitman

1. What is the main theme of the poem ‘O Me! O Life!’?


Ans: The main theme of the poem is to find meaning in life. The poem reminds us that life has a purpose
despite struggle and disappointment and we can make a contribution to it.
2. What recurring questions does the poet mention?
Ans: The poet mentions about the meaning of life, human faults like faithlessness and foolishness and the
purpose of existence.
3. What does the poet mean by ‘useless years’?
Ans: By ‘useless years’ the poet means the time that we spend or misuse to gain some meaningless,
insignificant and sometimes immoral things.
4. Is age an identity maker? What are the attributes of old age?
Ans: Yes, age can be an identity maker. Attributes of old age include wisdom, experience and sometimes
regret or a sense of lost time.
5. What do ‘sordid’ and ‘plodding’ mean?
Ans: ‘Sordid’ means dirty, unpleasant or immoral and ‘plodding’ means slow and tiring work.
6. What ‘faith’ does the poet mention here?
Ans: The poet mentions the lack of faith in himself and others, showing disappointment with human actions.
7. Is there a symbolic meaning of ‘contribute a verse’ in the last line?
Ans: Yes, it symbolises that every individual has the potential to make a meaningful contribution to the
ongoing story of life.
8. Do you find the answer section of the poem convincing?
Ans: Yes, it is convincing because it inspires hope. It reminds us that life has a meaning and a man can make
his life meaningful by contributing to the greater world.
9. Why does the poet call himself foolish and faithless?
Ans: The poet calls himself foolish and faithless as part of his self-reproach for not being able to rise above
the flaws he sees in others.
10. What does the poet mean by ‘’eyes that vainly crave the light’?
Ans: By ‘eyes that vainly crave the light’ the poet means human desires and aspirations that that often
remain unfulfilled.
11. What does ‘the powerful play’ refer to?
Ans: The phrase ‘the powerful play’ refers to the ongoing drama of life where everyone plays a part.
12. What is the poet’s attitude towards life?
Ans: The poet feels sad and disappointed at first but later he finds hope in the idea of contributing something
meaningful to life.
13. What is the message of the poem ‘O Me! O Life!’?
Ans: The message of the poem ‘O Me! O Life!’ is to find hope and purpose of life and contribute something
meaningful to the world despite life’s difficulties.

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