Wendell Holmes “The Physiology of Walking” talks about the amazing feat humans have achieved just through the act of walking. He goes in depth depicting how humans walk through the intricate workings of all the muscles and bones in the legs. However, in contrast, Sylvia Plath’s poem, “I am Vertical” talk about the fact that although she is vertical, she would rather be horizontal. By putting these two works side by side, Holmes astonishment with being upright and Plath’s desire to the horizontal, it becomes clear the ongoing discussion of the pros and cons of verticality.