Essay about Walt Whitmans Song of Myself - 1779 Words

Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Walt Whitmans Song of Myself is, on the most basic descriptive level, a really long poem. Whitman is clearly a poet with a lot to say, or at least with a lot of different ways to say it. He meanders from the micro to the macro, from atoms to the whole earth. There are obviously myriad ways to explain what the poem is about, and myriad keys to its true meaning. In what became Section 6 of the final edition (lines 90-121 of the 1855 edition ) Whitman himself addresses this sort of meta-question of interpretation. By doing so in one of the quieter, more straightforward sections of the poem, Whitman invites us to use the section as one such key. In Section 6, Whitman lays out a (possible)†¦show more content†¦(5). This easily equates the child?s question with the larger question of ?What is this poem In the next line of the poem, Whitman continues to encourage the reader. If we choose to interpret the child?s question as applied to the whole poem, it does at first seem that we are right back where we started from, saying ?What is this thing But Whitman now places himself right beside us, telling us that ?[he] do[es] not know what it is any more than [the child]? (91). This is reassuring?maybe we?re not so dumb if even Whitman can?t answer the question. By addressing the reader directly (?How could I answer the child (91)) he catches our attention. The poet is here, we think, maybe he can help us out. In a way we have assumed the position of the child, and we too wait for Whitman to give us some clue to the mystery that is his poem. By claiming ignorance, Whitman assures us that we are at least as equipped to find meaning in the grass (his work) as he is. In the following stanzas, Whitman offers up ideas that could fit in with the symbolism of the grass. He never s peaks with the voice of absolute authority. The next four stanzas begin with the phrase ?Or I guess,? which not only implies uncertainty, but with the ?or? reminds us of the practically infinite acceptable answers. This is a kinder, gentler Whitman thanShow MoreRelatedEssay on Walt Whitmans Song of Myself3631 Words   |  15 PagesWalt Whitmans Song of Myself This paper deals with Walt Whitmans Song of Myself in relation to Julia Kristevas theories of abjection--my paper does not point to abjection in the text, but rather the significance of the abscence of abjection. This abscence, looming and revolting, arises from Whitmans attemt to refigure a conception of sublimity which delimits the material which can trigger the sublime moment. Whitmans democracy of the sublime is inclusive of those figures on the AmericanRead MoreIdentity In Walt Whitmans A Song Of Myself869 Words   |  4 PagesIdentity: A Common Theme Walt Whitman (1819-1892) wrote a poem titles â€Å"A Song of Myself.† He wrote this piece in order to celebrate his identity, what makes him unique. Chinua Achebe (1930-2013) writes of a little boy struggling with identity in a quickly changing world. Jamaica Kincaid (1949-), writes of a young girl who is learning her identity as a mother, wife and daughter. By examining each piece of literature, one can trace the common theme of identity by comparing and contrasting theRead MoreTranscendentalism In Walt Whitmans A Song Of Myself1073 Words   |  5 PagesThe school of thought that is transcendentalism is best explained as the idea that everything is connected. America, as a country, represents the philosophy of Transcendentalism. This is best exemplified in the writing of Walt Whitman. In his poem, â€Å"A Song of Myself†, Whitman truly heralded a new brand of American exceptionalism. He championed the individual and created a work that exemplified the common man as the pillar of the American dream. Yet he also explained that Americans are what make upRead More Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay716 Words   |  3 Pages In one of the sections from the poem, â€Å"Song of Myself† Walt Whitman starts out with a child asking a question, â€Å"What is the grass?† Grass is a symbol of life. God, who created both the heavens and the earth also gave birth to life. When Whitman refers to grass as a â€Å"handkerchief of the Lord† (7), as a gift. When people look at the grass, they do not think of it as a creation but rather just a plant. Whitman refers to the grass as â€Å"a child, the produced babe of vegetation† (11, 12). Here, the grassRead More References to Homosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1210 Words   |  5 PagesHomosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself WHITMAN WAS MORE MAN THAN YOULL EVER BE, said a student of Louisiana State University. When asked questions of your sexual preference or thoughts on the issue of sex, I would venture to say it makes most people uncomfortable. This is an age-old topic that people know about, yet do not want to talk about. He was particularly reticent about his issues regarding sex and his particular sexual preference. In fact, of Whitmans struggles theRead More An Analysis of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay778 Words   |  4 PagesAn Analysis of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself `Whitman was always asking questions. He believed that lifes goal or cause was a mystery. He was surrounded by people who were drawing distinct lines between right and wrong, rejecting the things in the universe that were not a direct ticket to holiness. Whitman, unlike his contemporaries, embraced the beauty of everything. His mystical perception of the world ushered in the idea that God was to be found in every thing, and that He couldRead More Defining the Soul in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Essay721 Words   |  3 Pages Every sentence in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself tends to either repeat or contradict. He even says of himself, I contradict myself (Lauter, p. 2793). This can make Whitmans poetry a little confusing to some. In his many stanzas, definition of the soul is ambiguous and somewhat contradictory. Whitman says, Clear and sweet is my soul....and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul (Lauter, p. 2745). What I believe Whitman is saying here is that his soul and everything elseRead MoreEssay Choosing Sides in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1095 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Song of Myself† is an attempt by Walt Whitman to become the â€Å"American poet† as described by Ralph Waldo Emerson; he attempts to be â€Å"[T]he sayer, the namer, and [representative] of beauty† (Emerson 1182). Whitman wants to speak to and for America. Whitman does not explicitly choose sides on the slavery debate that was raging at the time of his writing, but he does express the equality of all people, regardless of gender and race in â€Å"Song of Myself†. While Whitman’s writing can be read as neutralRead MoreIndividuality And Free Verse in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1524 Words   |  7 Pages2.5 kids, 2 cars, a dog and a satisfying job), the spirit of innovati on, individuality and progress remains unchanged. The father of free verse, and perhaps the American perspective of poetry, Walt Whitman embodies these values in his life and work. First published in 1855 in Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself is a vision of a symbolic I enraptured by the senses, vicariously embracing all people and places from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. Sections 1 and 2, like the entirety of the piece,Read More An Annotation of Section 24 of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1354 Words   |  6 PagesSection 24 of Walt Whitmans Song of Myself Walt Whitmans Song of Myself is a vision of the American spirit, a vision of Whitman himself. It is his cry for democracy, giving each of us a voice through his poetry. Each of us has a voice and desires, and this is Whitmans representation of our voices, the voice of America. America, the great melting pot, was founded for freedom and democracy, and this poem is his way of re-instilling these lost American ideals. In this passage from Song of Myself