The Runner

Behind its simplicity, Whitman’s poem, “The Runner,” conveys a great deal of meaning about an ordinary man running “on a flat road.” This everyday occurrence is transformed into an extraordinary poem through Whitman’s use of vivid detail and imagery. Indeed, one can picture the sheer athleticism of the man in question through the line, “he is lean and sinewy with muscular legs.” The male’s fitness is further substantiated in the third line of the poem, when Whitman describes that the man is “thinly clothed” and “leans forward as he runs.” Clearly, the runner is a “well-trained runner,” who is familiar with the best technique for running. With his “lightly closed fists” and arms raised “partially,” the runner assumes an ideal running position. 

Whitman describes the runner with such a fluidity of words that the poem’s lines can be read as if the words too are “running” with the poem’s title subject. The subtle alliteration in the first line “on a flat road runs…” adds to the ease with which one can read Whitman’s poem. I found it particularly interesting that Whitman uses the term “lean” in both its adjective form, as healthily thin, and the verb form, as moving in a sloped position. There is also a “build-up” of actions that occurs while reading the piece. The first two lines assume a shorter length and are followed with two lines that are longer. It is as if the reader is a runner, building stamina with each line to reach the next step, which in this case is the next line in the poem. In this, however, I feel as if the last line of the poem is somewhat abrupt. The poem appears to be unfinished; perhaps, this is a means to mirror that Whitman’s observation of the run was unfinished. Both the poem and the run are subject to be continued through the reader.