Response to Walt

The first poem "O Me, O Life" inspires me every time I read it. When I think about it through the lenses of faith, I agree with Walt on so many levels. "The endless trains of the faithless", "of cities filled with the foolish", speak a great deal of how lost our society is. Where is the meaning to life found? His answer: The fact that you are alive! Thank God! For that is where I find identity. And more than this, I am able to contribute to this life. What will I do? How will I live for Christ? These are the questions that inspire me to live a more godly life. I am not sure if this is how Whitman meant it to be taken, but this is how I take it.

In the Second Poem, I am inspired by the thought of leadership. Lincoln was a great leader, and in the same way I think I aspire to be a good leader in whatever role I am placed in(marriage being foremost on my mind). "The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;" speaka of a consistent lifestyle. A man who's character is of good report; godly character. Also, I see Christ as a metaphor for Whitman's "captain". When the day is done, I will follow my captain no matter where he goes, through whatever danger.