What primary metaphor does Whitman develop in the poem 'O Pioneers!', celebrating the westward expansion of the United States?
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Correct answer: Pioneers as a vanguard of progress, forging a democratic empire through labor and youth
In 'O Pioneers!', Whitman envisions American pioneers as an energetic, youthful vanguard marching west to conquer physical obstacles and reshape history. The poem uses a driving, urgent rhythm to celebrate collective labor, movement, and the breaking of old geopolitical boundaries. It reframes the rugged physical expansion of the frontier as a grand, spiritually ordained democratic mission.
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