As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life is a choral setting of Walt Whitman’s deeply introspective poem of the same name. Whitman’s writing has always resonated with me, particularly his profound connection to the natural world and his ability to find metaphysical meaning within it. In this work, the ocean serves as both a physical and spiritual force—symbolizing the vast, often overwhelming complexity of life and the ebb and flow of human experience. As Whitman walks along the shoreline, observing driftwood and debris carried in by the tide, he begins a meditation on identity, purpose, and the nature of existence. This imagery—the restless sea, the scattered remnants of life—is mirrored in the music through shifting textures, flowing lines, and moments of fragmentation that gradually coalesce. While the text expresses vulnerability, uncertainty, and even self-doubt, I view it not as a poem of despair, but of transformation. The journey through emotional turbulence leads not to resolution, but to a deeper, more compassionate understanding of one’s place in the world. This a cappella setting seeks to reflect the poem’s organic rhythm and emotional arc, with harmonies that rise and recede like tides, and voicings that emphasize the solitary and collective aspects of the text. Ultimately, As I Ebb’d with the Ocean of Life is about listening—to nature, to ourselves, and to the quiet revelations that emerge in the spaces between.
