What are the 'tokens' that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class. (Hint: Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth, which holds that civilization has made humans false to their own true nature. What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?

Question

What are the 'tokens' that the poet says he may have dropped long ago, and which the animals have kept for him? Discuss this in class. (Hint: Whitman belongs to the Romantic tradition that includes Rousseau and Wordsworth, which holds that civilization has made humans false to their own true nature. What could be the basic aspects of our nature as living beings that humans choose to ignore or deny?

Philoid · Accepted Answer

The tokens which human beings have left behind in the race of civilization include love, complacency, honesty, kindness, respect, and simplicity. Humans have chosen to ignore these basic aspects of humanity and have instead become selfish and self-centered. With the main aim of grabbing material wealth in life, man has become ruthless. But animals still have all the qualities that humans once possessed. They are always satisfied with their condition and never grumble.