Analysis- I Am Waiting

I Am Waiting

BY LAWRENCE FERLINGHETTI

Michelle. L

I am waiting for my case to come up   

and I am waiting

for a rebirth of wonder

and I am waiting for someone

to really discover America

and wail

and I am waiting   

for the discovery

of a new symbolic western frontier   

and I am waiting   

for the American Eagle

to really spread its wings

and straighten up and fly right

and I am waiting

for the Age of Anxiety

to drop dead

and I am waiting

for the war to be fought

which will make the world safe

for anarchy

and I am waiting

for the final withering away

of all governments

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Second Coming   

and I am waiting

for a religious revival

to sweep thru the state of Arizona   

and I am waiting

for the Grapes of Wrath to be stored   

and I am waiting

for them to prove

that God is really American

and I am waiting

to see God on television

piped onto church altars

if only they can find   

the right channel   

to tune in on

and I am waiting

for the Last Supper to be served again

with a strange new appetizer

and I am perpetually awaiting

a rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for my number to be called

and I am waiting

for the Salvation Army to take over

and I am waiting

for the meek to be blessed

and inherit the earth   

without taxes

and I am waiting

for forests and animals

to reclaim the earth as theirs

and I am waiting

for a way to be devised

to destroy all nationalisms

without killing anybody

and I am waiting

for linnets and planets to fall like rain

and I am waiting for lovers and weepers

to lie down together again

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the Great Divide to be crossed   

and I am anxiously waiting

for the secret of eternal life to be discovered   

by an obscure general practitioner

and I am waiting

for the storms of life

to be over

and I am waiting

to set sail for happiness

and I am waiting

for a reconstructed Mayflower

to reach America

with its picture story and tv rights

sold in advance to the natives

and I am waiting

for the lost music to sound again

in the Lost Continent

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting for the day

that maketh all things clear

and I am awaiting retribution

for what America did   

to Tom Sawyer   

and I am waiting

for Alice in Wonderland

to retransmit to me

her total dream of innocence

and I am waiting

for Childe Roland to come

to the final darkest tower

and I am waiting   

for Aphrodite

to grow live arms

at a final disarmament conference

in a new rebirth of wonder

I am waiting

to get some intimations

of immortality

by recollecting my early childhood

and I am waiting

for the green mornings to come again   

youth’s dumb green fields come back again

and I am waiting

for some strains of unpremeditated art

to shake my typewriter

and I am waiting to write

the great indelible poem

and I am waiting

for the last long careless rapture

and I am perpetually waiting

for the fleeing lovers on the Grecian Urn   

to catch each other up at last

and embrace

and I am awaiting   

perpetually and forever

a renaissance of wonder

Ferlinghetti’s poem "I am waiting " is an outstanding poem of "The Beat Generation."  In it, he uses the words "I am waiting" to provide commentary on the many problems in society.  "I am waiting" is used repetitiously to introduce exactly what Ferlinghetti is waiting for . Lawrence Ferlingetti expresses his disappointment in society. " I am anxiously waiting for the secret of eternal life to be discovered by an obscure general practitioner and I am waiting for the storms of life to be over and I am waiting to set sail for happiness" Ferlinguetti demonstrates his need for something better in life, the rebirth of a new wonder.

In paragraph 2 Lawrence Ferlingetti talks about religion. Lawrence also demonstrates his belief that religion will some day sweep thru the state of Arizona once again. "I am waiting for a religious revival to sweep thru the state of Arizona " Meaning Lawrence is unsatisfied with Arizona's lack of religion. Although Lawrence ferlingetti is not religious and does not believe in the after life he still speaks about religion in his poems. "I am waiting for them to prove that God is really American"

Lawrence also speaks of fictional characters like Alice in wonderland and Tom Sawyer two characters that were prosecuted for something they did not do.  "I am awaiting retribution for what America did to Tom Sawyer and I am waiting for Alice in Wonderland to retransmit to me her total dream of innocence". Alice was prosectued in the perfect world of wonderland by the red queen. Demonstrating that even in a perfect world there is still imperfection.

The mood of this poem comes off as somewhat hopefull that some day we will experience this dramatic change in the world but the poem is mostly a sad story about what the world and how society really is and how we are waiting for it to change. " I am waiting for a way to be devised to destroy all nationalisms without killing anybody and I am waiting for linnets and planets to fall like rain and I am waiting for lovers and weepers to lie down together again in a new rebirth of wonder " Lawrence Ferlingetti is waiting for the world to start all over again because our world is so corrupted.