Song+of+Myself

-Cartoon of Walt Whitman and his view of Nature and Society

Walt Whitman's life and works are responsible for the modern American outlook. Inspired by the Transcendental movement, Whitman embodied all that the concept means through his lifestyle. Truly an individual, Whitman stepped away from society's view of acceptable with his free-verse poetry, which, although not new, was not widely accepted. Whitman's //Song of Myself// sings the song of celebration of life and freedom, the celebration of America as an individual nation with individual ideas. Met with both praise and criticism, the innovative poetry spoke for itself as an important part of American culture merely because it drew strong feelings of like or dislike from its critics. Whitman's uncertainty in himself, shown through his constant revisions to his work and brought about by the necessary secrecy shrouding his homosexuality because of his era, makes him so human that it adds to the potency of his poetry. Just as his poetry stepped away from tradition, the Transcendental concepts of time, interconnectedness, individual purpose and equality that characterized his work gave America the foundation needed to become the free-thinking, inspired, purposeful nation that it has become. ..................................

The theme of the equality of all men appears throughout Whitman's //Song of Myself// as the speaker extends his own experiences to the entire human race. In section six, he sees grass "growing among black folks as among white" (108), suggesting that nature does not discriminate between races and fills all reaches of the Earth regardless of the type of people living there. All men are nature's children and they all contribute to the oversoul. In section fifteen, he describes a variety of people who all perform their own actions and reveals "that of these one and all I weave the song of myself" (329). This poem is not intended to be only applied to the speaker; he is a representative of all men, explaining the variance in his voice between sections because he describes different parts of human life in each life. The speaker gives equal attention to every man because each makes up a part of nature and is essential for the description of all mankind. Even a prostitute, who receives constant ridicule, deserves the same respect as the speaker refuses "to laugh at your oaths nor jeer you" (1014). Although her profession is immoral, the speaker recognizes that she is equally a member of the oversoul and deserves the same respect as any other human. The only human action that the speaker views disapprovingly is the disrespect with which humans treat each other, failing to realize their connection as brothers and sisters. He also takes care of "the runaway slave" (189), allowing him to stay "a week before he was recuperated" (197). This line comes from section ten, which discusses the origins of America and the freedom it was founded on. The speaker serves as an example to realizing this ideal, as he quietly carries it out by treating a slave with the same respect as a white man. He recognizes that no matter a man's exterior, inside lies a soul that is part of the universal spirituality.

Whitman also demonstrates that the universal truths that humanity searches for is found in everything, including themselves when he says “All truths wait in all things” (648). With the repetition of “all”, Whitman expresses his belief in the equal importance of all things, that all are significant and hold knowledge that many desire to obtain (648). Section Thirty-Eight also expresses this theme of equality, especially as it pertains to the struggles and tragedies that people experience throughout life. Whitman believes that all people endure situations in which they suffer, but also encourages individual, unique thinking in which personal opinions are expressed and uncertainties are questioned despite insults and mockery. The poem also focuses on infinity in the cycles of life and death. The speaker opens the stanza with the exclamation “O span of youth! Ever-push’d elasticity! / O manhood, balanced, florid, and full” and ending it with the greeting “Old age superbly rising! O welcome, ineffable grace of dying days!” (1167-68, 1180). Demonstrating the contrasts between each stage in the life cycle, the speaker utilizes parallelism with the repetition of "o," as well as accentuating these differences through punctuation. Where as youth is described as smooth and energetic, shown through the exclamations, adulthood is depicted as something more calm in comparison. Old age, on the other hand, is similarly punctuated as was childhood, creating a positive outlook towards death as an escape from "my lovers" whom "suffocate me!" (1172). He eagerly awaits "the lover true for whom I pine" (1200), indicating his intimate relationship with God over his earthly lovers. He also reveals his belief that there is more to life than merely the one lived in flesh, which, oddly, is not a distinctly Transcendental belief. He declares that "there is no stoppage" (1190), although this is contradictory because life does come to an end eventually. The speaker similarly demonstrates the infiniteness of the universe when saying that "every condition promulges . . . itself" (1181), meaning that all things branch out to create or announce more conditions, a process that is ongoing.

Whitman's poem is a growth process in which the speaker discovers the truth to happiness. At first he admits that "There is that in me-I do not know what it is-but I know it is in me" (1309). By using "it" the speaker displays that there is something undefinable in him that cannot be articulated into words even though he knows of it. In doing so, he is mocking mankind for its attempts to understand everything, as he did in section two. Whitman expresses his disagreement with society's need to understand everything in "Birds-And a Cautionl." He says "perhaps ignorance, credulity - helps yor enjoyment of these things." An expression of relief is noticeable in his tone as he goes from "wrench'd and sweaty” to “calm and cool,” comparing life as man toils and worries, to acceptance of the mystery of death and life alike (1310). This tranquility resulting in the reception of the unknown allows him to “sleep long” because of the sense of relaxation he is able to attain, ending in the final epiphany as he “awakes” (1310, 1314). The realization concludes that “it is not chaos or death . . . it is Happiness,” indicating the “it” mentioned before as something that is without name (1317). The speaker capitalizes “Happiness” to emphasize this climax which leaves him with acceptance. He therefore illustrates that the ability to let go of analyzing everything in life will allow man to achieve the happiness they seek.

Whitman's use of blank verse in his poetry relates to his belief in Transcendentalism. He follows the Transcendentalist philosophy of rejecting traditional authority and achieving the individual's intuitive perception through personal experience, not through examples of others'. In Whitman's time, the typical form of poetry was basically made up of words rhyming, which essentially would make up the rhyme scheme of the poem. However, Whitman chooses not to follow this example and portrays his thoughts in blank verse of poetry, in which there is no rhyme scheme altogether. By doing this, Whitman rebels against traditional ideas of poetry and presents a fresh, unique style. In breaking away from conformity, he exemplifies and reveals the Transcendentalist value of individuality.

The speaker sees beauty in all men, with the human race's only repugnance being the cruelty with which people treat one another. In section eight, the speaker decides to "depart" after viewing rioters hurl "impassive stones" at each other (166, 161). In contrast to the peace he finds in nature, society brings out the worst in men, prompting them to escalate a minuscule quarrel into an actual battle. He vows to learn from their mistake and departs, proving his rejection of this violent tendency. In section 24, the speaker supports democracy because he "will accept nothing which all cannot have their counterpart of on the same terms" (507). Any government system that does not support equality is unacceptable because it promotes prejudice between men. The speaker not only values democracy, but also outright rejects inegalitarian systems, opposing any inequality.

The complete work can be found [|HERE]