Section+13

Section 13 of //Song of Myself// describes the equal role of every creature as the speaker realizes his place in life's brotherhood.

The speaker's diction in the first stanza suggests the equality of all men contrary to society's belief, challenging traditional views of leadership. He begins the first two sentences with “the negro” (217), giving the African American a sense of importance and predominant power. He also decides to dress the negro in a blue shirt making him a symbol of peace and power, since the color blue is associated with these qualities. The negro is described as “perfect,” (222) a “picturesque giant” (223) who commands love and respect. This displays Whitman’s ideas about brotherly love and accepting people no matter what they may look like, constrasting society's extreme racial prejudice. The speaker sets an example of the way humans should act around others: in a brotherly manner. By having a peaceful power figure, the speaker supports the unison of man through nonviolent actions, as there is no need for fighting. He says “his glance is calm and commanding – he tosses the slouch of his hat away from his forehead” (220), showing the balance needed for an ideal leader: someone powerful and strong- but also someone that is peaceful and nondestructive.

In lines 230 through 235, the speaker uses personification to give all creatures a an equal value to humans. He begins by saying “do not call the tortoise unworthy because she is not something else” implying that people should all be proud of exactly who they are, and accept the uniqueness of others. Demaing that a creature resemble another strips it of its individuality, when actually it has the same worth exactly the way it is. He also points out that “the jay in the woods never studied the gamut, yet trills pretty well to me” (234), stressing the need for pride in each being's talents and furthering the theme of respect for oneself and others. The speaker highlights these creatures' merits as if they were human, promoting equality among all walks of life. He also implies that he has been ashamed by his actions and thoughts in the past by saying “the look of the bay mare shames silliness out of me” (235). The speaker thus changes throughout the section, coming to fully understand the inequality with which society views others and seeing his past actions as dispicable. He humbles himself to the forces of nature, proving his respect for all creatures. It is then that Whitman “acknowledge red, yellow, white, playing within [him]” showing his acceptance of different colors, not only of race, but as well as talents, skills, language, and how each person is different, but the same as well, in the sense that all are what make up one community (240).

The structure of the last stanza parallels the interconnectedness of all life as each being makes up a part of life's harmony. After declaring that he believes "in those wing'd purposes" (239), he begins every line with the word "And." This links all parts of life together but also repsects their individuality, as each is an addition to the contributions of those who come before, proving that every species is worthy of being a part of life. The speaker makes up just one of these creatures, so he focuses on other beings to highlight his role as a member of this brotherhood.