1. Write a text analysis of the initial excerpt of “Song of Myself” from the beginning until “the song / of me rising from bed and meeting the sun."
2. Consider the interpretative hesitation of the part that begins, “A child said, ‘What is the Grass?’ and consider if this “poetics of doubt and speculation” has similar instances in Huck’s narration or if, on the contrary, there is a pragmatism that forebears more far-fetched comparison.
Walt Whitman, retouched picture for the 1855 edition of Leaves of Grass.
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Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” is a celebration of individuality and interconnectedness of everything in the world. It is written in free verse and will further be analyzed for literary devices.
The poem starts with “I” and capitalized “CELEBRATE,” which is quite a popular expression usually followed by “life” or something abstract. However, it is very unexpected to see a combination of “I CELEBRATE myself,” which sounds self-affirming and imposing. From the modern perspective it can be linked to the general idea that Americans put themselves before others and are sure that their point of view matters. The capitalization of the second word gives it additional emphasis and could be seen as an act of author’s emotional liberation. The second line, “And what I assume you shall assume” continues the idea of domination, because “I” contrasts “you” and outweighs it. However, later we discover that this “I” is both personal and universal, and ultimately encourages self-discovery.
The third line has another intriguing contrast: an abstract term “good” (as a noun) which belongs to “you,” and a scientific term “atom,” which belongs to “me.” There are other scientific terms in the poem, such as “distillation,” “intoxicate,” “atmosphere” and “odorless,” which are always used for contrast with other abstract or sensation-related words, e.g., “atmosphere is not a perfume, it is odorless.”
Interestingly, the author uses words that refer to all of human’s basic sensations:
1. Sight: “I lean … observing a spear of grass.”
2. Hearing: “echoes, ripples, buzzed whispers,” “the sound of the belched words of my voice.”
3. Smell: “houses and rooms are full of perfumes.”
4. Taste: “the atmosphere … has no taste of the distillation, …. it is in my mouth forever.”
5. Touch: “a few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms.”
All these devices allow readers to FEEL the poem in all possible sensational ways.
Whitman widely uses repetition, e.g., “assume,” “loaf” and “perfumes,” which help the poem gain momentum. Being written in a free verse, the poem does not have a lot of rhymes but has its unique rhythm. The first rhyme is internal and only appears in the third verse: “houses and rooms are full of perfumes.” There are also anaphoras (“I,” “the”) and epiphoras (“it,” “of”).
The poem presents a wide range of types of comparisons: metaphors, e.g., “a spear of summer grass,” negative metaphors (“the atmosphere is not a perfume”), and juxtaposition (“my respiration and inspiration,” “the sniff of green leaves and dry leaves”). In another juxtaposition there is also a not obvious onomatopoeia: “shine and shade on the trees,” where the “sh” sound resembles the rustling of leaves.
In conclusion it can be said that even the initial excerpt of “Song of Myself” is full of various linguistic elements which contribute to a multi-layered and free interpretation of the poem. Its conversational tone invites readers to reflect on their own lives and their place in the universe.
- Anna Holovina
1- The beginning of Walt Whitman’s "Song of Myself" starts the poem as a celebration of life, individuality, and the connections between people. When Whitman writes, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself,” he introduces the idea of self-expression and pride in being who you are. The word “sing” shows how he sees his poem as a happy expression of his thoughts and feelings. By focusing on “myself,” he makes it personal but also invites readers to celebrate their own lives.
Whitman connects himself to others by saying, “And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” Here, he’s saying that everyone is connected and equal, and what applies to him applies to everyone else, too. This idea reflects his belief in democracy and the shared nature of being human.
The line “the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun” is about waking up and starting fresh. It shows energy, hope, and a connection to nature. The image of meeting the sun makes it feel like a new beginning, as if he’s stepping into the world ready to embrace life.
In summary, this part of the poem is about celebrating yourself while also seeing how connected you are to the world and others. Whitman’s words are both personal and universal, inviting everyone to think about their place in life.
Cristiano Araújo 164943
(CONTINUAÇÃO)
After the opening lines, Walt Whitman continues to explore themes of self-discovery, connection, and nature. When he writes, “I loaf and invite my soul, / I lean and loaf at my ease observing a spear of summer grass,” Whitman shows how slowing down and taking time to relax allows him to reflect and connect with himself. The word “loaf” means to take it easy, but here it also suggests mindfulness and being present in the moment. By focusing on a simple “spear of summer grass,” Whitman reminds us that even the smallest parts of nature can help us think deeply about life.
In the lines, “My tongue, every atom of my blood, formed from this soil, this air,” Whitman emphasizes how humans are connected to the natural world. By saying his body is made from “this soil” and “this air,” he shows that people are a part of nature, not separate from it. This idea also connects to his belief in equality, as everyone shares the same roots and is made of the same elements.
When he says, “Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,” Whitman connects himself to generations of americans and the shared history of the country.
Finally, in “I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, / Hoping to cease not till death,” he expresses his excitement to live life fully. These lines show his energy, optimism, and readiness to embrace all that life has to offer. Whitman celebrates the individual while also connecting to the larger human experience.
Cristiano Araújo 164943
This poem celebrates the poet's self, but, while the "I" is the poet himself, it is, at the same time, universalized. The etymology of the word “CELEBRATE” indicates “to return to” or “to frequent”. The universalization of this “I” that we are recurrently returning to (to rejoice in) is made through the unbreakable atomic link shared by the entire humanity (“For every atom belonging to me, as good belongs to you”). The “as good” is an assertion that the poetic self is great and, since everyone is no less than the poetic self, the celebration is universally directed. So, the apparent arrogance and presumption of the initial two verses is immediately dissolved in the clarifying third.
The following stanza commences with “I loafe”. Once again, a focus on the “I”, but the definition of “loafe” is “to be leisurely idle” or to “lie about”. This relaxation coupled with “invite my soul” introduces a meditative state of introspection and connectedness with the inner self, not unlike yoga. Since the “I” is universal, this becomes ultimately an invitation for everyone to connect with their soul. But in which propitious environment?
The poem itself could be compared to a synesthesia, an overflowing mixture of sensory perception, as the five senses are recurrently applied to deliver a vivid union with reality and nature, from “observing (…) summer grass” to “I breathe the fragrance”. Even without any distinguishable specific synesthesia, the poem certainly possess a similar overall feel to it.
In this initial section, another literary device stands out: an enormous enumeration taking up the entire fifth stanza, that basically highlights the beauty life lived like the poetic I. The anaphoric “the”, alongside the enumeration, provides a certain flow and song-like rhythm to a poem written in free verse.
The overall message of the poem is an appeal to connect with one’s inner self. The poetic I roots his argumentation on personal experience and, since we all merge in nature and are made of the same material, he believes his connection with the soul is universally doable. He combines scientific wording (“distillation” and “atom”) with sensory poetic wording to establish, yet again, that his particular meditative aura is a scientifically proven and achievable goal for anyone.
The final verses of the fourth stanza captures this idea brilliantly: to become “naked and undisguised”, to have nature “be in contact with” oneself fully.
Matias Castiel
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