Whitman’s “A Noiseless Patient Spider” & “Song of the Open Road” I see Whitman’s poems intersect with each other when it comes to the concept of freedom created by open spaces. These two poems also intersect when it comes to the burden that weighs people down when they try to exploit open spaces. In the poem, A Noiseless Patient Spider the spider was eager to capitalize on its discovery of unlimited space. However, the spider was overwhelmed by the vastness of space. The spider is unsure what to do next. In the poem, Song of the Open Road , the traveler was excited to explore the open road before him (Whitman Song of the par. 2). Nevertheless, he made the heartfelt confession that he still carries the burdens that weigh him down in life. I find it interesting to look into the dilemma that people encounter when they realize their power to travel or conquer open spaces. I always wonder why people are content to live in cities wherein they are confronted with limited space. People have the capability to leave everything behind, and settle in unexplored territories. The history of the United States is characterized by the actions of explorers. It is impossible to explain the history of America if one will delete the story about Christopher Columbus’ quest to uncover the secret beyond the Atlantic Ocean. U.S. history is incomplete if one will overlook the contributions of Lewis and Clark when they embarked on a quest to discover a westward route towards the Pacific Ocean. People are unwilling to exploit the benefits provided by open spaces, because they are weighed down by unnecessary burdens. I think that we fear the unknown. We are terrified to contemplate the challenges created by unpredictable terrain. We are afraid to open our hearts in order to embrace individuals with different worldviews. We are afraid to leave our comfortable dwelling places, even if we know that overpopulation will overtake us in the near future. I understand the predicament faced by the road warrior. However, it is hard to understand the struggle of the spider (Whitman Noiseless Patient Spider par.1). I think that human beings require the familiarity of home before they are persuaded to uproot their families, and live in a foreign land. Just like the spider, we are unwilling to venture into the unknown, until we are able to establish connections with the local people. Margaret Fuller’s “Summer on the Lakes” I am fascinated by the author’s statement when she was travelling away from Buffalo, New York. She wrote, “It grieved me to hear these immigrants who were to be the fathers of a new race, from the old man down to the little girl, talking not of what they should do, but of what they should get in the new scene. It was to them a prospect, not of the unfolding nobler energies, but of more ease, and larger accumulation” (Fuller 18). It is important to take a second look at Fuller’s comments. It is a window to a time when America was not yet overrun by excessive industrialization. An incredible thought came to me when I was reading these lines. I realized that we have become the descendants of the materialistic people that traveled westward in order to exploit the natural resources of states like California and Texas. It is also a revelation to me that we are no longer horrified at the talk of material gain. When Fuller heard children talk about money and the acquisition of goods, she was confo