Mannahatta is Woven of the Natural and Artifical

Walt Whitman’s Mannahatta has an arresting way of interweaving old and new, natural and artificial.

Natural means pre-existing the human, and independent. The artificial is created by the human, and thus dependent.

The first lines, of crucial poetical magic, establish the poem’s beat by being and consisting only of the natural.

After this, the complicated interweaving of natural and artificial commences:

(1)

Rich, hemm’d thick all around with sailships and steamships, an island sixteen miles long, solid-founded,

Natural: an island sixteen miles long, solid-founded,

Artifical: sailships and steamships,

(2)

Numberless crowded streets, high growths of iron, slender, strong, light, splendidly uprising toward clear skies,

Natural: splendidly uprising toward clear skies,

Artificial: Numberless crowded streets, high growths of iron,

(3)

The flowing sea-currents, the little islands, larger adjoining islands, the heights, the villas,

Natural: The flowing sea-currents, the little islands, larger adjoining islands, the heights,

Artificial: the villas,

(4)

The countless masts, the white shore-steamers, the lighters, the ferry-boats, the black sea-steamers well-model’d,
The down-town streets, the jobbers’ houses of business, the houses of business of the ship-merchants and money-brokers, the river-streets,
Immigrants arriving, fifteen or twenty thousand in a week,

Natural: None

Artifical: The countless masts, the white shore-steamers, the lighters, the ferry-boats, the black sea-steamers well-model’d,
The down-town streets, the jobbers’ houses of business, the houses of business of the ship-merchants and money-brokers, the river-streets,
Immigrants arriving, fifteen or twenty thousand in a week,

(5)

The carts hauling goods, the manly race of drivers of horses, the brown-faced sailors,
The summer air, the bright sun shining, and the sailing clouds aloft,

Natural: The summer air, the bright sun shining, and the sailing clouds aloft,

Artificial: The carts hauling goods, the manly race of drivers of horses, the brown-faced sailors,

(6)

The winter snows, the sleigh-bells, the broken ice in the river, passing along up or down with the flood-tide or ebb-tide,
The mechanics of the city, the masters, well-form’d, beautiful-faced, looking you straight in the eyes,

Natural: The winter snows, the broken ice in the river, passing along up or down with the flood-tide or ebb-tide,

Artificial: The sleigh-bells, the mechanics of the city, the masters, well-form’d, beautiful-faced, looking you straight in the eyes,

(7)

Trottoirs throng’d, vehicles, Broadway, the women, the shops and shows,
A million people—manners free and superb—open voices—hospitality—the most courageous and friendly young men,

Natural: None

Artificial: Trottoirs throng’d, vehicles, Broadway, the women, the shops and shows, A million people—manners free and superb—open voices—hospitality—the most courageous and friendly young men,

(8)

City of hurried and sparkling waters! city of spires and masts!
City nested in bays! my city!

Natural: City of hurried and sparkling waters!

Artificial: city of spires and masts!

(9)

“City nested in bays! my city!” requires special consideration.

Earlier I categorized nests as of nature. Bays I would also categorize as of nature. City I categorize as artificial. Maybe, though, the city is an egg in a nest.