"Passage to India" Literary Analysis: What's the Deal with Doorways?

 

I am a sucker for good cinematography. This clip is from the most recent film adaptation of Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (and taken from Fairygirl912's YouTube channel). This is just one example of an artist making use of a doorway to connect one world to another. Now. How does Lucy's journey into the wardrobe connect to the work of Walt Whitman? It seems as though Whitman recognizes the ability (typical of children) to see beyond the limitations of the physical world. Perhaps Whitman is a kid at heart....or perhaps there is something much bigger going on. Let's take a look at text from Whitman's "Passage of India." 

 

"Ah who shall soothe these feverish children?

Who justify these restless explorations?

Who speak the secret of impassive earth?

Who bind it to us? what is this separate Nature so unnatural?

What is this earth to our affections? (unloving earth,

     without a throb to answer ours,

Cold earth, the place of graves.)"   (534; Section 5, ll.17-23)

 

We see several questions, meaning Whitman does not fully understand the way in which our minds take us to other places, but he is fascinated by it. Obviously, many would note that C.S. Lewis often writes through the lens of a devoutly religious man. Thus, one may interpret Narnia as he or she will based on that assumption. However, there is something to be said for imagination and the poetic voice as well. Some can feel it in their bones and others cannot (to paraphrase a creative writing teacher who never fails to be brutally honest with me about my work). Inspiration leads to the development of these worlds, and the artist has the power to make things the way he or she wants within them. As Whitman notes in the passage above, our world is not so kind. It does not show bias -- it is a system/machine that must follows laws. As humans, we must follow those laws as well. Herein lies the value of the poet -- the poet can remove these laws and simplify the complexities of existence to attempt to explain them.

Here is another example of a passage or portal used in film:

 

Okay. Okay. I'm sorry for this one. I adore horror films, so this was one of the first things that came to mind when I began considering strong examples for "passages." This is from The Ring (the channel is Movieclips). I can make this one work.

 

Another realm explored by Whitman in the poem is the realm of the dead. Samara, in the clip above, is dead, venturing to the world of humans to seek vengeance. Obviously, Whitman does not suggest that this is possible, but he does suggest that communication with those of the past and the future is possible. Here is text from the 8th section of "Passage to India":

 

"Swiftly I shrivel at the thought of God,

At Nature and its wonders, Time and Space and Death,

But that I, turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me,

And lo, thou gently masterest the orbs,

Thou matest Time, smilest content at Death,

And fillest, swellest full the vastness of Space" (538; Section 8, ll.40-45).

 

We see a new character emerging here. This character is the Soul, the Spirit. Whitman does not see finiteness as a characteristic of the soul. He sees something capable of reaching other times, reaching the far recesses of space. He is okay with death because the true essence of his existence, his soul, is not contained by death. The fact that you, reader, just read Whitman's work, thought about it, and absorbed it tells us that Whitman is still active, not physically, of course. Maybe this offers some consolation for the artist -- the artist inserts himself/herself into his/her work and that work carries the artist to the future and beyond. This idea of continuing conversation among artists is a recurring theme within Whitman's poetry.

 

The portals, if you like, are not limited to just these. Whitman recognizes the potential for the individual to reach other cultures, other times, other realms, and other people. The advent of the railroad is incredibly significant to Whitman's understanding of connectivity. People all over the country could access one another. Imagine what he would have thought about cell phones and Skype. Good grief.

 

I considered inserting a clip from Pan's Labyrinth here - be grateful that I didn't because I would have introduced you to the Pale Man and one heart attack is plenty for a blog post.

 

Look into the poem for yourself! Find other ways in which we are all connected. Consider the fact that connectivity is both beautiful and dangerous. (If you need evidence, consider the present conflict with The Middle East).