Walt Whitman, a 19th-century poet and journalist, is famous for his ability to see beyond the physical and write about themes that delve deep into the emotional. In his lyric poem “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” this fact is highlighted by his concise yet sublime description of the isolation felt by both the spider and the reflective speaker. This particular theme of isolation is commonly used in detective fiction writings, such as those of Edgar Allan Poe, to highlight man's crazed emotional state and his fervor and ability, when he is equipped with an enclosed space, to connect the dots and thus arrive at a conclusion. In Walt Whitman's poem, the effects of isolation in detective fiction are reflected and manifested as reasons for loneliness as well as a reason to find meaning in the universe through the desire for a connection between events seemingly devoid of the meaning of life. Lyric poetry is defined as “a poem expressing the subjective feelings and personal emotions of the poet” (“Gale Cengage Learning”). In “A Noiseless Patient Spider,” the emotions felt by the beings in the poem itself have a dramatic effect on the overall tone of the poem, and this feeling is similar to that felt in detective fiction. In line 2, the theme of isolation comes into play as the spider is described as being alone on a small cliff-like area (Whitman 519). Through the poet's use of the word "tirelessly," the speaker begins to feel what the spider must feel as it endlessly spins its thread with no real end in sight (Whitman 519). This isolation experienced by the spider is compared to the speaker's soul in the second stanza, which is constantly trying to grasp something meaningful in his life. The poet's use of vi...... middle of paper ...... "A patient and silent spider" contains the theme of isolation as representative of the lonely emotions experienced by society. The confinement experienced by both spider and man creates a genuine desire for the events leading up to their lives to “catch somewhere” of importance (Whitman 520). Isolation, both in the poem and in detective fiction, leads the audience to feel the emotions that the characters themselves feel and creates the ideal scene for desire and the actual search for a solution. Works Cited “Glossary of Terms.” Gale Cengage Learning. Cengage Learning, and Web. April 5, 2011..Whitman, Walt. “A patient and silent spider.” Prentice Hall Literature Portfolio. “Ed.” ChristyDesmet. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007. Print.