Section+38

Here is a little video which contains the section in it: media type="file" key="whitman section 38 [with muse].wmv" width="201" height="176"

In the first stanza, the speaker uses exclamation marks and to represent his growth from forcefulness to modesty. The poem begins with repetition of the phrase “Enough!” to make the appearance that he cannot get the attention he is searching for (959). It also acts as a command telling people to stop, and in context he means stop their usual habits, mistakes, and traditions. It represents the Transcendental belief of rejecting traditional authority. This is followed by a phrase containing alliteration, “Somehow I’ve been stunn’d. Stand back!” (960). The “s” sound can draw a connection to a snake or serpent, which was what fooled Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This connects to the speaker because he too has been fooled, by the evil serpent of his life, society. The speaker then realizes he is on the verge of a “usual” mistake (962), showing he does not want to base his views and values from the constant influence of society. He is beginning to mature as a person in terms of sticking to his own ideas. Rather than being on the verge of falling prone to society's views, he is now on the verge of becoming a //true// individual.

The writer uses parallelism when he repeats the phrase “That I could” (963-965) represents stupidity the speaker feels for falling for all of this, but also acts as a way to drill these happenings into his head so that he will not make this mistake again. It points out to readers that they too will feel stupid for making the same mistake he made. A connection to Jesus is made with his own “crucifixion and bloody crowning” (965), because that was how He died for presenting new ideas and being persecuted for his ideas. Everyone who goes against society can relate to Jesus in a sense, for everyone that is original in their ideas is rebuked because others do not understand them. The parallelism also demonstrates that he cannot believe that he let himself forget about the struggles that he has been through, such as mockery, and has even reached disappointment. Whitman believes that struggles should never be forgotten just as achievements would never be forgotten, which demonstrates his idea of equality. The repetition of the words three times indicates a reference to Christianity because the number three to Christians represents the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In the third stanza, the speaker says that he will “resume the overstaid fraction” (967). Whitman is again comparing the speaker to Christ, and he believes that people keep trying to revive Christ; however it is impossible because his time has ended. He believes that Christ, like all others, was given only a certain amount of time to be living on Earth. Once that time has ended and the people have died, they cannot be brought back to life. Whitman believes that people are dwelling too much on Christ’s death and concentrating too much on reviving him when they really should be focusing on their own life. His belief about equality is once again expressed by saying that Christ’s life, like the lives of others, only lasts and is only meant to last for a certain amount of time.

This stanza is all about taking over and conquering, shown by words related to soldiers, fighting, and the army. The first discusses how the speaker would “troop forth” and be part of an “unending procession” (970). These terms are connected to the army and how they march together to fight and conquer. He also talks about passing all “boundary lines” (971), which represent the boundary lines of what is acceptable in society. This displays Transcendentalism because the speaker is encouraging people to step over these boundary lines of society and reject traditional authority.

This last stanza shows that he wants people to keep searching for answers, because he says, “continue your questionings” (975) just as he will continue to ask questions and think. The speaker pushes people to keep questioning things they have been taught and to think for themselves. In the future, one may not succeed at first, but they must continue they journey towards individuality.

An allusion to christ-

Additionally, there are several references to Christ, and they do not exactly put the following of Christ in a positive light. As section 38 begins the speaker reminisces regretfully that he has forgotten “the mockers and insults…the trickling tears and the blows of the bludgeons and hammers” the “crucifixion and bloody crowning” (963-65). He identifies the suffering and sadness of people who express individuality to be very similar to the pain that Christ endured; he feels that the human race experiences a journey much like that of Christ, and therefore, The speaker is able to identify with Christ. The speaker remembers the “overstaid fraction” (967). Fraction, referring to a fraction of time, tells that Christ was only meant to be on earth for a small amount of time, the Christ according to one of Whitman’s earlier notebooks, is dead, and any attempt to resurrect him is simply foolishness. The speaker feels that Christ has overstayed his welcome, and that it is time for human kind to let Christ’s time on earth remain a fraction. They must stop trying to identify with Christ in the plight that he endured, because human kind as a whole already has to endure enough anguish as a part of their life on earth. Once man kind frees himself from a death with Christ, the “corpses” will “rise, gashes heal, fastenings roll.” (968). When humans are able to do this they will “troop forth replenish’d with supreme power.” (969), and the will conquer all lands. The poem concludes with a slight show of arrogance. The speaker salutes the “eleves”, and encourages them to continue their questioning. By inviting them to question him, the speaker shows that he still respects the necessity to question authority and not solely rely on other people's ideas. He presents his perspective but leaves decision in the reader's hands as to what they will believe or whether or not they will accept what he has to say.