Song of Myself

A detailed Summary of Song of Myself


Walt Whitman was an American poet from Long Island. All through his life this prolific writer was considered an example of spiritual value and moderation. His most famous collection, "Leaves of Grass", has been regarded as one of the world's major literary works and stands as a revolutionary development in poetry. The once so essential patterns of poetic expression such as rhyme and metric are totally neglected in Walt Whitman's poetry. His free verse and innovative rhythm mark the difference between him and any other democratic writer of his time. From this famous collection comes Song of Myself, in my opinion the greatest parallel ever drawn between society and the individual. The greatness of this poem lies in its intrinsic political message, its whimsical structure and its relation to the personal lifestyle of the author.

It is an excellent work, because never before in the history of American Literature, and never after Whitman had anyone addressed social and political issues from the intimacy of the individual self. Walt sings


The greatness of this work is beyond compare, and although my arguments might not be convincing enough, history itself has taken on its duty to prove my assumption. Walt Whitman's work corresponds with a period of both national and personal crisis. America was revolving in dreams of liberty and patriotism while Walt tried to break through sexual and personal barriers. His own concealed homosexuality brings strands of color and variety, and provides enough material to compare and contrast his internal life versus the life of millions of Americans.

without abiding by any conventions. His own free verse technique serves as a democratizing device, inscribing through the poem the pattern of many and one. The e pluribus unum that was the revolutionary seal of the American republic is also the overarching figure of Song of Myself. It is incredibly amazing how almost at the end of the poem, in section 38 when Whitman says "I find myself on the verge of a usual mistake", the context throws us back to the end of section three where the poet begins identifyin

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Approximate Word count = 719
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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