Explore Major Animal Groups and Their Unique Features
The poem ‘Animals' is written by Walt Whitman, who is comparing the nature of human beings with that of animals so that they can realize their flaws and focus on changing them. The poet believes that humans had all the qualities of tranquility, lack of greed, and the ability to stay happy very long ago, but now they are lost. Therefore, in this poem, Walt Whitman presents an educational perspective in front of the people.
God shaped humans and animals to live on the earth. He gave humans a higher status than animals. Walt Whitman, a great American poet, believed that animals are superior to humans. The poet evaluated some characteristics of animals that humans do not possess. He expressed his observations about animals and people in his poem "Animal.”
Walt Whitman loves animals’ companies very much. The poet wants to live amongst animals because he finds it calm and pleasing. They do not moan or cry about their condition. They are always happy and fulfill their duty to God.
According to Whitman, animals always show love and respect for humans. Animals are well satisfied in their lives. They are not obsessed with owning things. Sadness and happiness are similar to them. People are crazy about material things. Eventually, they lose control of the little things while the animals remain pretty happy. They do not waste time discussing their obligations to God as humans do.
He also states that humans do not have the qualities of animals such as signs of love, calmness, tenderness, selflessness, honesty, patience, and empathy. These qualities are absolutely essential to a wonderful life.
About the Poet
Walt Whitman, an American poet, essayist, and journalist was born in New York on 31 May 1819. Walt Whitman was one of the most prominent poets in American literature and is often called the father of free verse.
The Theme of Class 10 English Poem Animals
The poem ‘Animals’ written by Walt Whitman creates a comparison between human beings and animals. In this poem, the poet stresses the fact that animals are better than human beings as their love for humans is genuine. They possess qualities like love, respect, contentment and happiness like humans, sometimes better than them.
According to the poet, humans are losing empathy due to the rat race, whereas animals still value love and belongingness. They value nature more than us. Humans are too busy to find fault in others, whereas animals are satisfied with their own self. The poet says that humans are suffering because of their dissatisfaction and actions towards fulfilling their selfish motives. So, the poet wishes to turn and live with animals.
Class 10 English Poem Animals Summary
In this poem, Whitman compares man to animals. It is the souls of animals that are meant to reflect the truth in humanity. The central idea of this poem is to highlight the difference between human beings and animals.
In the beginning, both were similar in their innate goodness; the man had lost it over the years. In the race of human civilization, humans have lost their nature. They have become self-centered, jealous, restless, unhappy and always dissatisfied about everything. They grumble and crib about every issue. They cry over their sins and look for ways to please God for their selfish motives. The humans have got into a race with each other in order to earn more luxuries and comfort. They have lost their sound sleep and most of the time are unable to enjoy even small joys and happiness.
The poet says that now humans lack many virtues that animals have. Humans have become a combination of complications, contradictions, and confusion. Animals, on the other hand, are peaceful, self-contained, thankful and happy.
The poet desires to live among the animals because they do not complain about their conditions like human beings. They do not have the craze of possessing materialistic things. The animals do not have to bow to another of their kind. They are all equals and remain satisfied. The poet has a deep desire to learn from animals because they do not have any kind of falsehood. The poet is very surprised by their quality.
Understanding the Poem
Let's look at each stanza and understand the poem line by line-
I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
so placid and self-contained,
I stand and look at them long and long.
In this stanza, Walt Whitman praises animals for being much better compared to human beings. The poet wants to live with animals, where no one is complaining and living a life free of sin and suffering as the animals are very self-contained and satisfied with whatever they have.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
In this stanza, the poet says that animals are calm and self-sufficient. They do not moan or cry about their condition nor do they cry all night for all the wrongdoings that have happened. They are always happy and fulfill their duty to God, unlike humans who do things to showcase in front of God. Animals always show love and respect for humans and lead a life of satisfaction and peace. They do not waste time discussing their obligations to God as humans do
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with
the mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that
lived thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth.
In this stanza, the poet is talking about how non-materialistic animals are and they are completely satisfied without any worldly goods and comforts, unlike human beings who want to own a lot of things unnecessarily. Animals do not pray to their ancestors and everyone is treated equally without any disrespect to anyone. They are not double-faced as human beings are, they exhibit their true behavior in front of other animals.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince
them plainly in their possession
I wonder where they get those tokens,
Did I pass that way huge times ago and negligently drop them?
In this last stanza, the poet wonders where did human beings lose their qualities such as signs of love, calmness, tenderness, selflessness, honesty, patience, empathy, and passed these qualities to animals. These qualities are the lost values once human beings possessed.
FAQs on Animals Summary: Essential Facts About the Animal Kingdom
1. What is the central idea or quick summary of Walt Whitman's poem 'Animals' for Class 10?
The central idea of the poem 'Animals' is the poet Walt Whitman's belief that animals are superior to human beings. He presents a sharp contrast, arguing that animals have retained virtues like calmness, self-containment, and honesty, which humans have lost due to greed, dissatisfaction, and the 'mania of owning things'. The poet wishes he could 'turn and live with animals' to experience a more peaceful and authentic existence.
2. What key differences does the poet highlight between animals and humans for revision?
For a quick revision, the poet highlights several key differences between the species:
- Condition: Humans 'sweat and whine' about their condition, while animals are placid and accept their lives.
- Guilt: Humans lie awake weeping for their sins, but animals are unburdened by such guilt.
- Materialism: Humans are 'demented with the mania of owning things', whereas animals are content without any possessions.
- Hierarchy: Humans kneel to others and to ancestors, but animals treat all their kind as equals.
- Honesty: Animals are genuine and 'show their relations', while humans are often complicated and deceitful.
3. Why does the poet Walt Whitman express a desire to 'turn and live with animals'?
The poet wishes to live with animals because he finds them to be 'placid' (peaceful) and 'self-contained' (self-sufficient). He has grown tired of the negative aspects of human society, such as constant complaining, guilt, hypocrisy, and greed. For him, animals represent a simpler, more honest, and more satisfying way of life that he deeply admires and longs to be a part of.
4. What are the 'tokens' mentioned in the poem 'Animals', and why does the poet think humanity 'negligently dropped them'?
In the context of the poem, the 'tokens' represent the innate human virtues and qualities such as innocence, honesty, contentment, and selfless love. The phrase 'negligently dropped them' is a metaphor suggesting that humanity, in its race for civilisation and material progress, has carelessly lost these essential values. The poet observes these same lost virtues now reflected 'plainly' in the nature of animals.
5. Which qualities do animals possess that humans have lost, according to a summary of the poem?
According to the poem's summary, animals possess several admirable qualities that are now rare in humans. Key virtues for revision include:
- Calmness and inner peace (they are 'placid').
- Self-sufficiency and composure (they are 'self-contained').
- Complete contentment (they are 'not one is dissatisfied').
- Freedom from materialism (they do not have the 'mania of owning things').
- A natural sense of equality (they do not 'kneel to another').
6. How does the poem 'Animals' function as a critique of modern human society?
The poem serves as a powerful critique of modern human society by using the simple, virtuous nature of animals as a mirror to reflect human flaws. Whitman criticises humanity's obsession with wealth, social status ('kneeling to another'), and religious hypocrisy ('discussing their duty to God'). By praising animals for lacking these traits, he implies that humans have strayed from their natural, more noble state, creating a world filled with dissatisfaction and sorrow.
7. For revision purposes, what is significant about the poetic style of 'Animals' by Walt Whitman?
The most significant aspect of the poetic style in 'Animals' is its use of free verse. This means the poem does not adhere to a consistent rhyme scheme or metrical pattern, which was a revolutionary approach at the time. This free-flowing structure gives the poem a natural, conversational feel, as if the poet is sharing his direct thoughts and observations, which enhances its emotional honesty and impact.
