Section+52

In Section 52, the speaker concludes the poem through displaying the interconnectedness of society in though, and action, and the importance of following the speaker's advice. The speaker shows that an individual should leave his knowledge to the earth and become one with nature as he or she dies. There is also stress on staying true to oneself and the connection between all things. The tone in the beginning of this section is accepting of death, then shifts to patient and encouraging as the poem draws to a close.

In the first stanza, the speaker uses personifcation to depict his growing unison with nature, which does not threaten his individuality. He watches as “a hawk swoops by” and complains of his “gab and loitering” (1328). The hawk represents nature and has been sent to tell the speaker that he must move forward into the next part of his life. It also symbolizes the ability of individual perception among all species because birds are known for their superior eyes and vision. In the following stanza, the speaker claims that he “too” is” untranslatable” (1329). The speaker ponders on a final reflection of himself and gives a farewell to his reader when he says that a “hawk swoops by and accuses me” (1330). The speaker shows that even nature accuses him of being arrogant. When the hawk “complains of my gab and my loitering” (1330), it seems as if nature is complaining that the speaker has gone on about himself in such a long poem all about himself. However the speaker replies back that he “too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable” (1331), showing that he cares not about what he sounds like. The hawk represents nature and the speaker wants to connect to nature, so the hawk swooping down creates the image of him being picked up and carried away into naturem, finally becoming one with it. He claims that he is untranslatable because he, like nature, maintains his individuality, and his unison with nature does not weaken this.

The speaker's sarcasm later in stanza one suggests his freedom from society's judgments. His reference to the word “barbaric” shows his indifference to any influence of society because he is willing to be excluded from it (1331-2). Though he does not consider himself a barbarian, he mocks society's perception of an untamed spirit by willingly claiming to be uncivilized. The speaker takes pride in his individuality, declaring that “I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world” (1332) which depicts him as wild, free, and untamed, just like nature. This line also creates an image of the speaker on top of a mountain shouting out his truths for all people to hear, and this is what the speaker feels he has done as he closes his epic poem.

The speaker uses imagery to explore death as a way to connect to nature and last forever. He effuses his “flesh in eddies,” becoming a part of nature by allowing his body to merge with it (1335). In the next line, he says “I bequeath myself to the dirt” (1336). The use of the word “bequeath” shows that through death, the speaker is able to become a part of nature. He is resting and holding his knowledge in the hands of nature, knowing that others who embrace nature will be able to learn from him. Even dirt commands his repsect as part of nature, since he is willing to submit to it and place his body to rest there for eternity. The stanza ends with the speaker addressing the reader: “If you want me again, look for me under your boot soles” (1337). The speaker’s presence has become universal and infinite since he has become a part of nature. He then discusses how he has merged with “the dirt to grow from the grass I love” (1338). The speaker returns to this image of grass that was the cause of the poem, as he explains his unity with nature. His wisdom can be found in all parts of the world because he is now one with nature and like those who came before him, eternally displays his soul through the grass. This statement depicts the ground that people so carelessly step on as a source of infinite wisdom, prompting theme to appreciate the lessons found throughout all of nature.The speaker's body may perish, but he will always exist as a part of nature. He discloses that he will “be good health to you” (1339) because one can learn from those who have died as the over-soul keeps everyone linked together for eternity. His work serves to “filter and fibre your blood” (1342), explaining his lasting effect on humaity as all generations to come will hold his memory in their veins. By using the words “filter” and “blood," he relates the cycle of blood in the human body to the endless cycle of ideas among every human in the universe.

The speaker's constant use of "I" supports the idea that he has introspective knowledge and is confident in speaking without any influence from society. This idea is further supported with, "you will hardly know who I am or what I mean" (1340). Since the speaker is representing himself as an entity that can not be fully understood, he stresses the depth of knowledge found in every human being that can only be gained through a genuine understanding of him. Still, he assures that those “failing to fetch me" should "keep encouraged” (1343), showing that he knows the messages in his poem can only be understood and fulfilled through life. This is evident in the last line when the speaker says “I stop somewhere waiting for you” (1345). The speaker’s voice seems to echo and fade into the distance as he expresses his final farewell. His final message is that while all are out living their lives, he gladly waits for all people, unenlightened or unborn, to join him in his perfect essence.

In the final sentences of the poem, the speaker transitions from “me” (1342) to “you” (1343), extending his experiences to apply to all mankind. This also mirrors the poem's beginning with the word "I" (1) and ending with the word "you" (1343). Throughout the poem he explores himself and his relation to the universe through the connection of Nature and the Over-soul. The speaker states, "Failing to fetch me at first, keep encouraged;/Missing me one place, search another;" (1341-1342). Through using first person, the speaker tells his audience to continue trying to find themselves, because the thoughts of all people are connected through the Over-soul. He speaks of himself throughout the whole poem, but the last line emphasizes that everything he has said can relate to every individual as they find their own songs.

When concluding the poem, the speaker uses structure to focus on the connectedness of man. Each line within the last stanza includes a statement before the comma about the speaker. After the comma, the speaker uses commanding words to address the reader. By using this pattern, the speaker is finally establishing the value of brotherhood and equality.