Why is this quote "All these-the meanness and agony without end, I sitting, look out upon, See, hear, and am silent" ironic?
It's easier to interpret these lines by reading the entire poem by Walt Whitman.
"I SIT and look out upon all the sorrows of the world, and upon all
oppression and shame;
I hear secret convulsive sobs from young men, at anguish with
themselves, remorseful after deeds done;
I see, in low life, the mother misused by her children, dying,
neglected, gaunt, desperate;
I see the wife misused by her husband—I see the treacherous seducer
of young women;
I mark the ranklings of jealousy and unrequited love, attempted to be
hid—I see these sights on the earth;
I see the workings of battle, pestilence, tyranny—I see martyrs and
prisoners;
I observe a famine at sea—I observe the sailors casting lots who
shall be kill'd, to preserve the lives of the rest;
I observe the slights and degradations cast by arrogant persons upon
laborers, the poor, and upon negroes, and the like;
All these—All the meanness and agony without end, I sitting, look
out upon,
See, hear, and am silent."
Is being silent the logical outcome of Whitman's lamenting the evils of the world?
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/irony
To understand the irony in the quote "All these - the meanness and agony without end, I sitting, look out upon, See, hear, and am silent," we need to analyze the elements mentioned in the quote and the context in which they are presented.
First, the speaker mentions "the meanness and agony without end." This suggests that there is a considerable amount of suffering or distress in their surroundings. However, the speaker then states, "I sitting, look out upon." By using the word "sitting," the speaker indicates their passive, stationary position, implying that they have the luxury of observing these hardships from a distance without participating or taking any action.
Furthermore, the speaker says, "See, hear, and am silent." This phrase underscores their passive role as an observer who witnesses the suffering but chooses not to speak out or intervene. By being silent, they imply a lack of engagement or willingness to acknowledge or address the very issues they are witnessing. This contrast between the suffering they see and their own inaction reveals the irony in the quote.
To fully comprehend the irony in any quote or statement, it is important to consider the context, the meaning of the words used, and the contrast between different elements within the statement. In this case, the juxtaposition of observing suffering without taking action creates the irony.