Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

A detailed Summary of Song of Myself by Walt Whitman

As suggested in the title, Song of Myself is indeed concerned with the poet's experience. Yet it also is concerned with much more the human condition, nature, and the universe and it is presented through the lens of the poet's unique vision.

Whitman's personality is powerful in the poem his opening lines state that I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. But instead of being a simple statement of egotism, it is a statement of camaraderie. Whitman is symbolically reaching out to the reader, suggesting that they are interconnected even on a molecular level. And from that point on, Whitman is able to expand his concerns to include larger questions of brotherhood, human nature, and death.

Whitman's concern of these questions is unyielding. His observations appear as a series of outbursts and revelations. As a result, the poem may seem to have no apparent organization or guiding principle. Yet closer assessment, one can argue that Song of Myself unfolds carefully as a mystical experience on the part of the poet. And while its tone is ecstatic and its scope is vast, the poem remains grounded in the self, the touchstone

In the sections that follow, the poet experiences an awakening of the self. In this awakened state he begins to consider questions of life and death. The grass is a key image that unlocks his thoughts. Considering death, he writes, The smallest sprout [of grass] shows there is really no death, / And if ever there was it led forward life, and does not wait at the end to arrest it, / And ceas'd the moment life appear'd. The sprouts of grass suggest to the poet that death is an integral part of life; it is not an ending but simply another beginning.

In this spirit the poet is also able to accept and celebrate the body. He exalts sensuality and channels a spirit of liberation: Voices of sexes and lusts, voices veil'd and I remove the veil, / Voices indecent by me clarified and transfigur'd. Rather than being sinful or dirty, sensuality is a necessary part of mystical revelation. The feeling is of radical transformation: Unscrew the locks from the doors! / Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!

As the poet awakens to these questions, he also feels a keen awareness of, and love for, others. The poet calls himself a caresser of life, meaning that he is acutely sympathetic toward life in all of its forms. This is true of his feelings for human beings a boatman, a young bride, a runaway slave as well as for animals: oxen, a tortoise, a wild gander. These images inspire him to see a commonality in all living things: I see in them and myself the same old law. The poet then goes on to discuss various human experiences and conditions, from the sublime to the suicidal. He gathers the spirits of these people and creatures inside himself in order

Some common words found in the essay are:
, poet able, mystical experience, sections follow, dark night, wounded person, phase poet's, poet's experience, invites reader, evil propels,

Approximate Word count = 1122
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English