Section+16

Section 16 of Walt Whitman's //Song of Myself// explains the speaker's connection with every other human being through one oversoul as well as the individuality of all men.

As the section begins, the speaker's use of synecdoche extends his revelations to include all men, "old and young, ... the foolish as much as the wise;/ Regardless of others, ever regardful of others” (330). The speaker contradicts himself by saying he is of two opposites, but emphasizes that each of these equally contributes to the oversoul. Using paradoxes, the speaker illustrates the contradictory nature of man, who was created imperfect and is always changing. Representing the entire human race, the speaker is a diverse creation made of all things and all things flow through every man. He describes himself as a multitude of men to highlight that no matter how different they are, all men are human and are equal in his eyes.

The speaker's diction later in the first stanza emphasizes the unity of all men. He begins a line saying that he is “One of the Nation” (334), not only showing the value of the individual person, but also that the speaker feels united with all of mankind and the world around him. It is a brotherhood that the speaker has with others, referring to them as “Comrade” (342). This word does not only connote friendship, but also an unbreakable connection that brings anyone, "all who shake hands" (336), together.

The next lines use parallelism to group lines with similar messages together, showing a smaller idea that composes a larger one. Beginning each of the following lines with “A southerner…/A Yankee…/A Kentuckian…/A boatman” draws on the thought that everyone is bound together through the over soul, regardless of their physical location (327-30). While describing that he is a "southerner.../ a Yankee" and so forth, he chooses to use the word "or" instead of "and", using this conjunction makes it seem that he is all of these things, he could be a "southerner" or any other race in the world. Each line mentions a place in nature that is all bound together through their position in compiling nature. Although the speaker has gone through many of life's trials, his “joints the limberest joints on earth, and the sternest joints on earth” demonstrate that he can still experience more and will continue to do so (327).

The speaker stresses diversity by recognizing that he is “of every hue and caste”(346), signifying his connection to all of the earth and the greater scheme of life. He rejects society's oppression and identifies a sense of equality because he embodies all kinds of people within himself including a "farmer" and "priest" (347-8). The speaker's acceptance of all people and subsequent love for his diversity reflects that differences are not to be a source of conflict, but an encouragement of individuality. By allowing himself to be a part of every division in society, the speaker abolishes all the ways that society separates people from one another. In doing so, the speaker is able to add emphasis on the importance of unity amongst people. Listing the several job positions in such a repetitive manner allows the speaker to establish equal importance for each profession. Because the jobs are separated only by commas, no single profession is able to stand out, thus emphasizing the equal importance of diverse types of work. Everyone has a purpose or a duty and each person's purpose is just as important as another's.

In the one stanza that is set apart from all of the others, the speaker recognizes his connection with nature and that he has a purpose in life as he breathes, “the air, but leave plenty after me”(350). Not only does the speaker realize his purpose, but he also sees that he is meant to give back what he takes away and feels a dedication to the earth and all those living on it. This idea can be connected to William Cullen Bryant's "Thanatopsis" in this poem the same idea is expressed as the speaker says " shalt go To mix forever with the elements. To be a brother to th' insensible, rock" (Bryant 25-27). Here the speaker believes that in a persons death all will give back to nature and that nature will "claim" all that is rightfully theirs (human body) to nourish itself (Bryant 22). The speaker in "Song of Myself" first states that is “not stuck up, and…in [his] place” and later goes on to compare himself with nature (343). It almost seems as if the speaker is declaring how good of a person he is and is encouraging other to do the same. Using parallelism in the next three lines, he follows by saying “the moth and the fish eggs are in their place…the suns are in their place…the palpable is in its place, and the impalpable is in its place” (344-46). He demonstrates that just as every piece in nature has a place as well as every person on earth, regardless of race or religion. Just as each entity and object mentioned takes a part in composing the universe, each line combines to form the stanza.