An Analysis Of Walt Whitman's Song Of Myself

Poetry is arguably the most ethereal and incomprehensible form of art. Creating not just an image or story, but an entire concept through mere words strung together in rhythm is a feat unparalleled by any other. Those who have mastered this are praised among the most ingenious of any time period. Walt Whitman proved his own prowess in this field through his publication of many poetic works collectively titled “Leaves of Grass”. These pieces are filled with romantic, idealistic imagery of eternal summers and lounging in fields of flowers with one’s lover. His own version of heaven is the setting of each poem, along with hints of how he believes we may achieve that paradise. Whitman’s concept of an ideal life is based in the peace and comfort
He uses this platform not only to record his own happenings, but his ideal and imagined life as well. Nature is the motif at the foreground, shown through the multiplicity of phrases including words such as “the sniff of green leaves and dry leaves” and “the wild gander leads his flock through the cool night” (lines 24, 245). Whitman uses this imagery to bring his audience back to their roots in the world. Amidst the bustle of his surroundings in the booming era of the mid nineteenth century, Whitman seeks out the beauty of nature- beauty which does not call out for praise or adoration, but instead exists in itself and for itself. It is this type of beauty and self-confidence which Whitman admires and strives to emulate. Just as we applaud that which is blatantly beautiful and wonderful, Whitman makes the effort to do the same with things that may not be so obviously good. He says in line 52, “Clear and sweet is my soul, and clear and sweet is all that is not my soul”. This phrase emphasizes that self appreciation which we all hope to achieve in our relationship to ourselves, and then carries that idea out into the world as a whole. In today’s age especially of being belittled and lowered so that large companies can persuade us to invest in their products, it is known that we need to hold ourselves up and recognize that we are
It presents a hypothetical chance meeting and questions the reasons one would have for not greeting Whitman himself. The ultimate line then turns that same question onto the reader and asks why shouldn’t Whitman speak to the one he passes by. These questions parallel one another in form, but the juxtaposition of their meaning is what stands out. There may be several realistic reasons to prevent one from saying hello to a stranger, lack of time, insecurity, shyness, introversion, all of which will be quoted by one asked. But in asking someone else’s reasons not to talk to you, a sense of introspection dawns. You are forced to look at your own qualities and reflect on why someone shouldn’t greet you, and often the answers which come up will result in mixed feelings of hypothetical resentment that you’d go overlooked or understanding because you have flaws that might dissuade an impromptu conversation. Regardless of the outcome, this poem by Whitman is especially clever due to the fact that in a mere three lines it can cause self-reflection and possibly betterment which will ripple out and potentially cause a wide-spreading change in