# The Wallabout Martyrs explained — Leaves of Grass

> Chapter companion for Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

## What happens

A tribute to the forgotten Revolutionary War patriots buried in the Wallabout sands, whose sacrifice is deemed greater than that of ancient heroes like Achilles or Ulysses, serving as the foundational stepping stones for America.

## Themes in this chapter

### America and Its People

The poem honors the anonymous, common patriots whose sacrifice built the nation, contrasting them with classical heroes.

### Death and Immortality

The martyrs' physical remains are decayed, yet their legacy is immortalized as the foundation of America.

## Character check-ins

### America

Addressed directly as the beneficiary of the martyrs' sacrifice, the nation built upon their bones.

### Narrator

The voice that elevates the unknown patriots above legendary figures, speaking from a present perspective.

## Key lines

> Greater than memory of Achilles or Ulysses, More, more by far to thee than tomb of Alexander, Those cart loads of old charnel ashes, scales and splints of mouldy bones, Once living men⁠—once resolute courage, aspiration, strength, The stepping stones to thee to-day and here, America.

These forgotten patriots are more important to America than the legendary heroes of ancient Greece or the conqueror Alexander; their decaying bones, once full of life and courage, are the very foundation upon which the nation stands today.

_Whitman elevates the anonymous Revolutionary dead above classical and historical figures, asserting their foundational role in America's existence._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters/the-wallabout-martyrs
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/leaves_of_grass_se/chapters