How we cite our quotes: (Line)
Quote #1
Afoot and light-hearted, I take to the open road,
Healthy, free, the world before me,
The long brown path before me, leading wherever I choose. (1-3)
Right from the get-go, our speaker wants us to know that he's out there, baby, living the dream of freedom. He's not just preaching something about which he has no experience. He's tasting freedom, then coming to us with the news of just how sweet it is.
Quote #2
From this hour, freedom!
From this hour I ordain myself loos'd of limits and imaginary lines,
Going where I list, my own master, total and absolute, (53-55)
We have to admit, it sounds like a pretty great way to live—no rules, no master, no boundaries. The speaker is a pretty convincing spokesperson for travel as the best way to experience freedom.
Quote #3
We will sail pathless and wild seas;
We will go where winds blow, waves dash, and the Yankee clipper speeds by under full sail. (126-127)
At some point, the idea of freedom is so central to this poem's thinking that even the metaphor of the open road fails to capture it. The speaker moves on to sailing here to communicate a sense of freedom. At least on the ocean you don't have to worry about paths or pavement. You really can go anywhere you choose.