The New World

"The New World" by Witter Bynner is a poetic journey through love, beauty, and the common threads of human life, penned in the early 1900s. Highlighting themes of unity, it accentuates the ties between a person and their community, which pulls from the deep well of American poetry. Bynner mixes his own thoughts with views of society, probably speaking to the soul of a changing America. Using Celia, who stands for love and knowledge, the speaker travels through life’s puzzles, thinking about beauty, death, and what it means to be an immigrant in America. The speaker thinks about love going beyond the body and asks us to see that everyone is on this journey together. Bynner uses thoughtful images and ideas to encourage us toward a vision of democracy where everyone matters and is connected, ending with a party for the power of people working together and understanding each other.