Section+48

"And nothing, not God, is greater to one than one's self" (1271) demonstrates a common theme in Whitman's "Song of Myself" which is equality of all people. He believes that no one, not even God, is more significant than another. The speaker recognizes religion but does not succumb to it. He believes that all people are individual and unique, and that one's soul and self is something that should be valued and cherished. The speaker feels very comfortable and confident with his own beliefs and principles of life. This quote also exemplifies that God is present among all human beings, but humans should still value themselves.

As the speaker addresses his recognition of God and his curiosity in the topic of religion, he then contradicts himself by stating that he is not at all interested in the prospect of being a part of a religion. In this way, the speaker states that curiosity in areas other than that of one’s own goal must be limited. Although one may be interested other values, he or she must shun them to follow the path he or she is already on to continue fostering his or her individuality.
 * “For I, who am curious about each, am not curious about God”**

The speaker not only states that one must shun the ideas, but also that one must be at peace with other ideas. Expressing that he is "at peace about God" (1280) gives the speaker's audience motivation to be able to be at peace with the ideas of mere humans. The speaker of the poem offers his knowledge about life, and more specifically about God. Although transcendental ideas suggest keeping from formed religions, the speaker proposes his belief in God. However, an individual’s own beliefs are greater than anything else. This idea of being at peace with other's ideas is furthered when the speaker states "Let your soul stand cool and composed/before a million universes"(1277). The million universes the speaker is talking about are all the different ideas in the world, and the speaker believes the soul should evaluate these ideas and judge them, and not just rush into a belief without giving it a proper evaluation.This may seem like an impossible feat, but the speaker uses the example to stress the importance of being at peace with all ideas to be able to truly develop into an individual.

The speaker’s paradoxical views concerning God are evident in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stanzas. He “behold[s] God in every object, yet understand[s] God in the least”(1278). Though he doesn’t understand God, the speaker thinks He is not “more wonderful than”(1279) himself, again showing a praise of the individual. The speaker ends the section expressing that “wheresoe’er I go, others will punctually come forever and ever”(1284/5), expressing his belief in man’s eternal and fruitless search for God. He tells readers that they must accept that they will never fully understand God, and that they should value themselves more than anything.

The speaker constantly compares an individual to God as, “nothing, not God, is greater to one than one’s self is,” (L 1271). The speaker goes back and forth talking about how God is someone who created the Earth and all that exists but then quickly goes back the idea of why an individual should go out of their way to worship him. He tells, “mankind, Be not curious about God,/ For I who am curious about each am not curious about God,” which contributes to the idea that life should not revolve around the idea of a god but focus on the individual (L 1277-78). He is promoting the awakening to people to not be blinded by the conformist followings of religion but to have their own thoughts and ideas.

Walt Whitman’s section 48 of //Song of Myself// speaks of the value of emotion in the individual, his journey to individuality, and of man as a whole person. In this portion, the poet describes the condition of a trek through oneself and of the state of America in his time through the repetition of the word “And” in lines 1270 through 1278 and through his end words. As the speaker begins 9 subsequent lines using the same word, he signifies the continuation of a journey. As each pathway is accompanied by a number of stops, transitions, and decisions, this conjunction links two lines of the poem together each time it is used, as a choice on a journey would. However, the end words of this same selection of lines differ in meaning. As the “body”, “soul”, and “self”, are mentioned (1269-71) as end words, they describe the poet’s Transcendental idea of a source of interconnected goodness throughout all. However, these are ended by the word “funeral” (1272), describing the hindrance of connection with the soul in his American society. Immediately followed by a line containing only three words, this portion indicates a regression in the mindset of society which aims to stop the journey into new, unique ideas to promote a traditional American society.

The speaker includes the value of emotion and depth of the soul as to describe the purpose of life. As the “soul is not more than the body “body is not more than the soul” (1270), the speaker describes that in order to realize and see what is incorrect, one must use the body to signal such messages. However, a body alone cannot assist one in changing; his or her soul and conscience must guide him or her to betterment. Without the feeling of the soul to convey the feeling of what is indeed correct and beneficial for the body to the body itself, one will never truly know what direction to travel in. Whitman In order to realize and see what is incorrect, we must use our bodies to signal such messages; however, a body alone cannot assist us in changing; our soul and conscience must guide us to betterment. The speaker also states that “whoever walks a furlong without sympathy, walks to his own funeral” (1272), stressing the need for sentiment and knowledge of what feels correct for the body and individual to progress. If one does not take heed to the words of his own soul, he will never find his purpose in life, essentially dying for he will never improve. Whitman’s paradoxes in regards references to religion offer the idea that religion is indeed a topic which stands strong even in the face of firm opposition and although authority is to be resisted, one should accept others’ views. As the speaker continually preaches regarding self-realization and to “destroy the teacher” (1233), he “beholds God in every object” (1278), thus displaying a Transcendentalist ideal. By seeing the Lord in inanimate entities, the speaker describes his belief of an equal spirit of goodness flowing within all creations and shows that religion plays a role in his life and should be appreciated. Because it appears daily in even the most lifeless of articles, and not only in living and breathing organisms, he displays that all beings are connected through a source of goodness and that each creation is a source of beauty and goodness. However, the speaker soon wonders why he would “wish to see God better than this day” (1280), thus questioning and ignoring a supposed obligation he has to the Lord, attempting to show his revolutionary attitude toward the subject. Through such contradictions coming from a strong revolutionary writer who preaches his words confidently to the public, the speaker displays the difficulty in stopping belief in a greater power. Although he preaches the separation from authority, recognizing the Creator of the earth is a difficult task to completely ignore.

The section opens with the paradox, “I have said that the soul is not more than the body,/ And I have said that the body is not more than the soul” (1269-70) to emphasize the importance of having integrity by acting upon one’s beliefs. The speaker employs “I or you” (1273) interchangeably to communicate the idea of an over-soul which binds all of humanity together. He is stating that it is possible to be connected with the rest of society and learn from others, while still maintaining individuality. Through the speaker, he portrays his beliefs that an individual must detach from society’s influences in order to create his or her own thoughts, but remain connected to each.

In Walt Whitman's //Song of Myself//, section 48 expresses the need for individual thought and the connection of all people. The speaker opens the section with a paradox saying, "I have said that the soul is not more than the body/And I have said that the body is not more than the soul;" (1265-1266). Separated the body and the soul are useless, but together they create a fully functioning human being. The speaker is using this paradox to show the worth or everything, and the equality of all people. Everything has an equal part in creating a full-functioning universe.