![]() ![]() ![]() NaturallyĪnd I know that the hand of God is the promise of my own,Īnd I know that the spirit of God is the brother of my own,Īnd that all the men ever born are also my brothers, and the womenĪnd that a kelson of the creation is love,Īnd limitless are leaves stiff or drooping in the fields,Īnd brown ants in the little wells beneath them,Īnd mossy scabs of the worm fence, heap'd stones, elder, mullein and This idea of unity is explored further when Whitman asks his soul to join him in noticing a “spear of summer grass." This introduces a spiritual element to the poem, and emphasizes the fact that Whitman wants to be fully present for his meditation, “My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil.” The grass that Whitman observes stands as a symbol of the small and overlooked becoming huge in meaning, an idea that is explored further in the poem excerpt below. Everything that he "harbor for good or bad" are at one with the environment around him. ![]() The poet’s thoughts shift naturally, from his feeling of unity to his personal life to the acknowledgement of his failures. Stream of consciousness, with its free association of thoughts that have no formal introductions, enhances this mood. Both of these words suggest a state of complete relaxation and ease. The word “abeyance” means “a state of not happening or being used at present" ( link). “Loafe” is an older spelling of the word “ loaf,” which means to laze around. Outdated words and spelling give modern readers an extra challenge. The stream of consciousness style can make this poem somewhat difficult to follow, but it is a vital part of understanding the overall theme. Nature without check with original energy. I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard, Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,īorn here of parents born here from parents the same, and their I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. The first section continues in the same vein as the first three lines: I think that taking a glance at his feeling of unity with the environment around him can remind us of the reasons we struggle to maintain and facilitate its survival. Whitman is not separate from the earth, rather he embraces it. Unlike the poem that I analyzed last month, which contained a sobering environmental message and a clinical examination of disease, “Song of Myself” focuses on the celebration of nature and humanity’s place within it. These two excerpts that I have chosen demonstrate some aspects of how the book, despite its original poor reception, is very well written, and maybe even more important to read today. It took several years before it was recognized, however because of its use of blank or unrhymed verse and its sometimes salacious content it was almost refused publication. First published in 1855, critics consider both the poem and the overall books as American classics, and they remain extremely influential on poetry even today. With 52 sections, it is the longest poem in his book Leaves of Grass, and it is considered to be his most influential work. This is how Walt Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself” begins. For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
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