No Labor-Saving Machine by Walt Whitman portraits an idea that many people in this world have, the idea of how will we be remember after we are gone. By repeating the word “no ” an “nor” at the beginning of every sentence makes me have a picture of him as a sad man walking in the world with no type vision of a future for him self. The author makes himself look like he’s a Mr. Nobody, he states that he has never done anything great like making a discovery or “… leave behind me any wealthy bequest to found a hospital or library”. What I believe is that he once thought that maybe one day he was going to do something in his life that would help or inspire someone else, this way people would of remember him as someone who made a difference. But all he has accomplished is leaving “Only a few carols, vibrating through the air … For comrades and lovers” and for him this wasn’t enough.
It seems a bit ironic to me that if Whitman though of him self this way, as being a person of no accomplishments right now he would have be proud of himself; we are here reading his poems and embarrassing his great literature, he didn’t leave just a “few carols, vibrating through the air”, he left great works! But yet, why is it any good if he is not here to see it. Why do people want to be remembered by doing something, if when they were here no one ever appreciated their hard work?
This poem makes me question my self if I will ever be remember by anyone out side my family. Will I ever do anything great for people to have an idea of who I was? Or do I even want to be remember as a person who brought something to this world?
I disagree that Walt Whitman considered himself as a Mr. Nobody like you have interpreted. When he uses the words “no” and “nor”, he could be using it in relation to show how humble he is. It could also imply that he isn’t chasing fame or fortune. Therefore, he says “Nor discovery have I made”. Perhaps, it isn’t a big deal to him that he hasn’t accomplished certain things. He continues, “Nor will I be able to leave behind me any wealthy bequest to found a hospital or library.” Since he hasn’t achieved anything significant, he is unable to leave anything behind. Personally, I think that he is expressing how he takes his life lightly. He probably also acknowledges that there is nothing that will follow along when the moment of death arrives. Consequently, it is the reason why he is light-hearted when it comes to materialistic things. The poet even points out that the only thing that will remain after his death is “Only a few carols, vibrating through the air, I leave” and that he will be remembered by “comrades and lovers”.