A Child's Amaze Comments
SILENT and amazed, even when a little boy,
I remember I heard the preacher every Sunday put God in his
statements,
...
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THE LAST ONE: Whitman's concise portrayal invites readers to ponder the complexities of faith and existence.
TWO: Unlike Whitman's expansive and cosmic works, this poem employs simple and direct language, mirroring the perspective of a young child. It delves into the coexistence of good and evil, echoing the prevalent religious fervor of the mid-19th century.
ONE: In Walt Whitman's poem "A Child's Amaze, " the speaker, as a young boy, reflects on the religious messages he hears from the preacher every Sunday. The poem captures the child's astonishment and confusion as he grapples with the duality of a benevolent God and a hostile force.
This poem is so simple and innocent like a child. Great Walt Whitman has set an example before us that a wonderful poem can be composed with just a few words!
Both you, Mr. Swain, and Miss Chan, have analyzed this poem perfectly! Thank you for taking the time!
from the silent heart of boy God writes the future father!
So great thought.....I remembered my childhood....so nice......
I am amazed; silent prayer. Just praying I am; asking nothing. God is before me. But I am not before GOD! obscurity touches the Sunday light; Sunday heart; Sunday holy Verses! I am praying and forgetting what I am asking. Still I am asking nothing. Behind me a darkness and before the obscurity. On the stalk of rose I am less of honey......
Am I mistaken? The way I first interpreted that last line sends to suggest he thought the preacher would always imply God was contending against some being or influence...was he, the child, by his innocence, able to see the preacher apostasize while the rest of the congregation couldn't see or hear the duplicity? I know I'm over thinking it but I just wanted to know if anyone else was seeing it this way too...
Am I mistaken? The way I first interpreted that last line sends to suggest he thought the preacher would always imply God was contending against some being or influence...was he, the child, by his innocence, able to see the preacher apostasize while the rest of the congregation
What I'm puzzling through with A Child's Amaze is the final line: As contending against some being or influence. The way this line is written, I'm not sure if Walt Whitman meant that the preacher himself was contending with some being or influence by putting God into his statements or if the preacher was putting God into his statements to help his parish contend with some being or influence. Is Walt Whitman cynical in this poem or merely reporting an ordinary church experience? Is this poem a commentary? I'm not sure, based on the way the final line is composed. I don't like this poem as much as some of his other works.
Though short in lines the meaning is great and poem is also meaningful .
a strong feeling and opinion in a few words, but yet not one to which i can connect or understand. My opinion only, but If a poem is a reflection of a poets thought/feeling then this would be a strong part of Whitman. That said, it leaves little for a reader to connect to without the same sharing of understanding.
what i gather from this is that claudia reads trashy novels.
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7/22/2025 2:05:48 PM # 1.0.0
This poem is not very beautiful in composition, but the grandeur of its message makes up for all such. This poem was a refreshing read! Glad it made the Poem of the Day!