I Sit and Look Out

1. The poem’s image of sailors casting lots (lines 13-14) stands out in the poem for the detail it conveys and for its specificity. Furthermore, many other images, such as the mother, the battle, and the wife, would likely have been relatable for Whitman’s readers. However, most readers had probably never experienced life at sea, let alone a dramatic situation like Whitman describes.

What stands out to you about the image of the sailors? How does it fit in with and/or stand out from the other descriptions in the poem? How does Whitman use the sailors to bring up the concept of fate? Write a journal or freewrite in response to these questions, and then discuss your ideas with a partner.

Next, create a visual representation of the sailors. You could draw or paint the scene of the sailors at sea, create a comic strip or infographic, or focus on a specific detail, such as representing the famine by drawing empty food barrels. Other options include making origami dice to represent the practice of casting lots, or perhaps depicting the scene in the moments after the lots have been cast. Who has been chosen to be “kill’d to preserve the lives of the rest”? (14).