In this poem, Walt Whitman begins with an observation of a spider, and the way it diligently spins a web. "Marked how to explore the vacant vast surrounding/ it launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself/ Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them" (82). Here, Whitman uses the device of personification. He gives the spider the human-like desire to explore one's surroundings to satisfy curiosity. However, realistically, it is the reasons for the spider to spin a web is simply driven by instinct and the need of survival.
This device then sets the poem up to use the spider as a symbol. "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 gossamer thread you fling to catch somewhere, O my soul" (83). This example illustrates the connection Whitman makes between his soul, and the spider. Like the spider, his soul is submerged in a vast, endless space. It persistently attempts to grasp onto something, some type of understanding of the world around him, and its meaning. The "gossamer thread" of the soul, is like the silk of the spider. The soul yearns to explore these concepts, to latch onto something, just as the spider yearns to latch its web onto some part of its surrounding simply for survival.
Overall, the meaning of the poem is something that appeals to me. The comparison of the spider and the soul, and the web and the desires for discovery are definitely an interesting concept that I had interpreted well. The wording of the poem was not too challenging, yet it was challenging enough to capture my attention.
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