From Song Of Myself Analysis

We are destined to die since we are born. There are no exception, no one can avoid it. However, we often forget we are going to die, besides we don't enjoy talking about it for the fear over the unknown world after death and sorrow over the separation with the people and world. Furthermore we wish not to die and also regard that avoiding death or living longer as long as possible is good luck. But there are two poets who show the different attitude toward death. One is Emily Dickinson and the other is Whitman. "712" by Emily Dickinson and “From Song of Myself ” by Walt Whitman both express a similar perspective on death. Dickinson tells death is a gentle companion that is always with us since our birth. Whitman says simply that death is part of nature and we are
But his approach in describing death is quite different with Emily Dickinson's. From the opening of his poem, he starts with a personified critical hawk "The spotted hawks swoops by and accuses me/he complains of my gab and my loitering."(1). Not like Emily Dickinson's death which is personified as gentleman at first stanza, Whitman takes a while to work up to the topic, death. Upon reaching the fourth stanza, with line "I depart as air."(5-1). he reveals what he really wants to say in this poem by comparing dying to turning into air. While Emily Dickinson uses meter and slant rhyme to make a poetic sound, he uses poetic device, alliteration "You will hardly know who I am or what I mean /But I shall be good health to you nevertheless/ And filter and fibre your blood"(7). to emphasize death as a reunion with nature. Rhythm is created by repeating strong "f" sound. Again, he uses alliteration "Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged"(8-1). to underscore the seriousness of his command to the readers to find him in nature by leaving words: "I stop somewhere waiting for