Select TWO passages from "Song of Myself" that you find particularly interesting in terms of style, theme, and message.
Each passage should be between 2-6 lines long.
Type the passage and then pick it apart in terms of word choice, structure, style, theme, subject, message, etc.
Then do it again!
Be sure to sign your name, and DO NOT REPEAT the same passage as someone else unless you have something completely new and different to say about it.
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" And I say to mankind, Be not curious about God, For I who am curious about each am not curious about God, (No array of terms can say how much I am at peace about God and about death.)I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least, Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself. Why should I wish to see God better than this day? I see something of God each hour of the twenty- four, and each moment then, In the faces of men and women I see God, and in my own face in the glass, I find letters from God dropt in the street, and everyone is sign'd by God's name."
ReplyDeleteWalt Whitman has a way of writing that makes it seem all about himself but in actuality he relates it back to all of his readers. He portrays a cocky, self centered, attitude which contributes to his style. Also the idea of the "universal I", by talking about his greatness, but relating to his audience. In the part that I picked, Whitman is talking about his "relationship" with God. However, he didn't speak about God as the holy one and the one that everyone should honor, obey, and follow like the transcendentalists, but he compares himself to God. "I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least. Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself." He was making himself seem more almighty than God. Rather than honoring God, he honors himself and all of his accomplishments. Not only did Whitman compare his greatness to God, but also he tells others to focus their attentions on something else rather than wondering when God is coming and the other facts about God. He says that he can see God in every object, and he can even see God when he looks in the morror basically, saying that Whitman is the spitting image of God. Whitman's structure, style, and language may seem harsh and self-centered at first but continuing the reading you can begin to understand where he comes from and how much the story he is talking about relates to you as an individual in society.
Jasmin Martin
" I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love, If you want me again look for me under your boot- soles. You will hardly know who I am or what I mean By I shallbe good health to you nevertheless and filter and fibre your blood."
ReplyDeleteAt this point in the story Whitman is transitioning from the self-centered self he had been from the being to a more self-less person that is relating life messgaes to his audience. He says that if anyone ever needs him he will be under the boot- sole, meaning that he will always be with us and that we can always take his messages and words with us and apply it to any situation we may face. Also, he wishes people good health and survival, which proves his selfless actions. However, he managss to squeeze in a cocky remark emphasizing his power. He says that he can filter and fibre our blood, meaning he has the ability to health and maintain others health. His style changes towards the end because he can directly communicate with his audience and pass along advice for the future.
Jasmin martin
"The prostitute draggles her shawl, her bonnet bobs on her tipsy and pimpled neck,
ReplyDeleteThe crowd laugh at her blackguard oaths, the med jeer and wink to each other,
(Miserable! I do not laugh at your oaths nor jeer you;)
The President holding a cabinet council is surrounded by the great Secretaries," (section 15)
This passage falls in the middle of a long list of descriptions of various types of people of different occupations and social statuses. I chose this particular excerpt because I think Whitman's point interestingly is emphasized by by showing similarity and unity through contrast. He describes a prostitute with a dragging shawl and a "tipsy and pimpled neck," men who jeer at her "and wink to each other," and then the President of the US holding a cabinet meeting. Simply including the lowest onthe social ladder (the prostitue) and the highest (the President) in one breath brings a sense of unity. What is most powerful, though,is that Whitman does not judge the prostitute; he simply includes her, basically saying "see her- she is a person- she does exist", and she exists in importance as much as the President. Who Whitman does judge is the group of men who judge, jeer, and laugh at the powerless prostitite. Those "miserble" men who degrade others are the only ones deserving of judgement and scorn themselves.
In terms of the word choices, I feel that through his quick pacing and well-selected agjectives Whitman creates a sense of rhythm which subtly emphasizes interconnectivity. He also uses a bit of alliteration with "bonnet bobs" and hard sounding words like "draggles" and "jeer". Finally, I looked up "blackguard" and found it means "low, dirty language."
"I hear you whispering there O stars of heaven,
O suns--O grass of graves--O perpetual transfers and promotions,
If you do not say any thing how can I say any thing?" (section 49)
This passage, toward the end of the poem, pulls together much of the energy and images that were previously introduced. Whitman address the stars, suns, and grass; but her also listens to them "whispering there." He is almost in a meditative state, completely in tune with nature and the universe, and he can hear it whispering. However, as Whitman says, "If you do not say any thing how can I say anything?" I believe this line is interesting and a bit confusing because he addresses and personifies nature as "you" but he also says despite his listening and interconnectivity, he cannot fully understand what it is saying. Perhaps this implies his respect of mystery and that not everything is knowable.
I really like this passage for its repetition and listing. I also enjoy how it circles back to the "grass of graves" that is developed as a symbol of regeneration early in the poem.
"The little one sleeps in its cradle, I lift the gauze and look a long time, and silently brush away flies with my hand. The youngster and the red-faced girl turn aside up the bushy hill, I peeringly view from the top. The suicide sprawls on the bloody floor of the bedroom, I witness the corpse with its dabbled hair, I note where the pistol has fallen." (Section 8)
ReplyDeleteAn often brought up point about "Song of Myself" is how it celebrates equally all types of people, from the president to the prostitute. In this passage Whitman expresses a similar sentiment, a celebration of all of life's events. He begins with a description of a sleeping baby in a cradle, creating a gentle scene with words such as "silently" and "sleeps". Next he describes a similarly calm scene of youth, describing children on a "bushy hill." Immediately after he turns the mood of the poem upside down by describing a grisly suicide, using words such as "bloody" and "corpse" to evoke a sense of horror. The reason behind this turnaround is, like the president and the prostitute, Whitman is saying all of life's events - good and bad - are of equal importance and beauty. At the end of each of the three scenes he describes himself within them, always watching. Whitman even describes himself "noting where the pistol has fallen" in the suicide verses, as if to say that event is just as significant as a resting newborn. Each scene is written in the same 2-3 line format, further elaborating the point that these events are equal. I find this passage striking because it speaks the truth that the tragidies in life are just as important as its joys, and what makes us human is our ability to reckognize them rather than ignore them.
"The spotted hawk swoops by and accues me, he complains of my gab and my loitering. I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." (Section 52)
It is known that at the time of Whitman's publishing as a poet he drew many critics who believed he preached garbage and an indignant lifestyle. Here Whitman projects his critics on to this "spotted hawk". His choice of a hawk to represent his critics is key, as hawks are known for viciously hunting their prey. It is likely Whitman uses this to express how he feels hunted by his acerbic critics. However, he says something interesting. Rather than responding to his critics, "I am not a bit tamed," he responds, "I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable." He goes on to describe himself as a bird sound his "barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." It is important to note Whitman represents his critics with a creature not only known for hunting, but also for flying. Whitman is saying that even his critics are things of beauty, and that if they realized it they would see that they are like him and have the potential that every person has to soar, to be free.
-Ben Hyatt
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete“Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with/ perfumes, / I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it, / The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
ReplyDeleteThe atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the/ distillation, it is odorless, / It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it, / I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked”
In the first section of this passage, Whitman describes the general views of society. He shows how people have become lost in their culture. They become caught up with all of their artificial products, learning to value them completely. This comes from his saying that men fill their houses with the smell of synthetic perfumes, masking the true smells and experiences of nature. From this masking comes the “intoxication” he describes. Our minds become poisoned by artificial stimulation, not allowing us to remember where we truly come from. We lose our ability to appreciate nature.
Whitman shows how he will not allow this to happen to himself. While he does say that he enjoys the advantages of society (ie, he likes the fragrance of the perfume), he will not let it overwhelm and encompass him like all others have. In the second section of this passage, he describes how he likes the raw, untouched aspects of the natural world. He says that the odorless atmosphere is “for my mouth forever, and I love it.” This shows his major theme of feeling connected with nature, as if he and all other creations are bound together for all eternity. And he embraces this. He wants to become one with nature and wishes to be “undisguised and naked.” He appreciates the roots from which he comes, and does not allow all the flashy temptations of the synthetic human world distract him from nature’s awesome beauty.
“The city sleeps and the country sleeps, / The living sleep for their time, and dead sleep for their time, / The old husband sleeps by his wife and the young husband sleeps by his wife; / And these tend inward to me, and I tend outward to them, / And such as it is to be of these more or less I am, / And of these one and all I weave the song of myself.”
ReplyDeleteOne of Whitman’s major themes is displayed in this passage—his sense of connectedness with all of man and nature. He uses his technique of repetition of the word “sleep” to get across the idea that every person shares essential commonalities that bring us together. Even those who you would find to have no similarities, such as those living in the city verses those from the country, or those who are young verses those ripened with age. Most interestingly, he connects the living with the dead. Whitman has a strong respect for the dead, and feels as they are one of the most important aspects of life. He often shows that without death there cannot be life, so he sees little difference between the two.
In his comment, “of these one and all I weave the song of myself,” he strongly portrays his sense of connectedness with all life. He sees all these diverse stages of existence as being apart of himself, and the he is also a part of them. This in some ways connects to the transcendentalist idea of idealism, and there is an all encompassing power connecting every being in the universe. In society, particularly those in the west that tend to be very individualist, people often try to separate themselves from this idea and want to gain a unique identity apart from everything else. While this aspect of life is important, Whitman wants to stress to the people that it is also essential to remember that in the end we are all one.
"The smallest sprout 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"
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Whitman explains that life and death are connected almost as one. The corpses of the people are buried in the ground, yet despite the death "the smallest sprout" still grows. In a way, Whitman says that death seems to help "led forward life" and let it continue rather than stopping it.
-Maddy Fitzsimmons
"And I say to making, be not curious about God, For i who am curious about each am not curious about god, no array of terms can say how much i am at peace about God and about death. I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God not in the least, nor do i understand who there can be more wonderful than myself."
ReplyDeleteDoes Walt Whittman really thing that he is betterful and more wonderful than God? He clearly states when he says "nor do i understand who there can be more wonderful than myself?" after talking about god afterwards. In these five lines he completely shuts downs the christian religion and anyone else who believes in god. Then he talks about how everyone should not thnik about God and his ways, and how he doesn't need to because he is "at peace with God and Death". You may be america's poet Walt Whittman, but your not better then an entire relgion.
-Brendan Bartolini
"The little one sleeps in its cradle, I lift the gauze and look a long time, and silently brush away flies with my hand. The youngster and the red-faced girl turn aside up the bushy hill, I peeringly view from the top. The suicide sprawls on the bloody floor of the bedroom, I witness the corpse with its dabbled hair, I note where the pistol has fallen." (Section 8)
ReplyDeleteThis passage uses aspects of human nature in a transcendental way. When it talks about the baby in its cradle shows the beauty and nature of a newborn baby. It also talks about the young red faced girl which shows the beauty of young human beings.
"I hear you whispering there O stars of heaven,
O suns--O grass of graves--O perpetual transfers and promotions,
If you do not say any thing how can I say any thing?" (section 49)
In this passage, he uses I a lot like we learned about. Most poets don't use I but he does. He also uses, "O" inn sucsession multiple times. This is word choice used to make the poem sound good. He also describes the wonder of heaven, and the nature of death. Everything is transcendental.
Neal Pellegrini
"I am the poet of the woman the same as the man,/ And I say it is as great to be a woman as to be a man,/And I say there is nothing greater than the mother of men."
ReplyDeleteHere Whitman empathizes with women. At the time, women were not believed to be of much use in gender equality; they were only considered important in running the household and caring for the children. Whitman however states his opinion that "it is as great to be a woman as to be a man." By saying that he is "the poet of the woman the same as a man" he points out that women are as significant as men, possibly moreso due to their ability to be mothers, as "there is nothing greater than the mother of men."
-Maddy Fitzsimmons
"And as to you death, and you bitter hug of mortality, it is idle to alarm me."
ReplyDeleteWalt Whittman is pretty cocky to be talking the way he did about god, but to challenge Death is a whole different story. In this little exceprt he is either talking about how he is aware of his fate of dieing like everyone in the world does, or he is to egotistical to understand that everyone dies once in a while. The way he says "it is idle to alarm me" makes me think that he is saying is too good for a fair warning and won't end up dieing, but he is wrong.
-Brendan Bartolini-
A chid say What is the grass?fetching it to me with full hands;How could I answer the child? I do not not know what it is anymore than he.(6)
ReplyDeleteThis means that he uses nature as a key part because he loves it so much and he believes that if you stop ans smell the roses once in a while you can have a great life. Alos it is aying that he does not have all the answers and no one does but the message is no one knows everything and you just have to think about it for yourself and maybe something will come to you. It is saying The woerds are basically saying you have your life to figure it out like why the grass is green and not blue so he is that I dont know and nature is all around us wihich is one of the themes and just take a glance at it.
"And I have said that the soul is not more than the body, and i have said that the body is not more than the soul, and nothing, not godm is greater to one than ones self is, and whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud"(48)
ReplyDeleteWhitmans point of view on puritanism. he has the idea that the body is no more than the soul. In the passage he sees as one of us, a human, a soul within all of us. Whitman believes that God is not a being who is above, below or even away from people. But rather he is within all beings. within everyone and everything he sees, and knows. He believes taht those who walk on without sympathy are people who walk in a shroud, and are dark. rather than helping and sympathizing for others, the person who deosnt do these is a person who walks in darkness among everyone else, while others walk in the light
"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars and the pismire is equally perfect, and the greain of sand, and the egg of the wren....."(31)
In this passage Whitmans perspective of equivalency and balance is brought up again. He believes taht everything is created equally. That the stars are no more better than a blade of grass. He believes that nothing is more special, or more important than anything else. Whitman agrees in the fact that everything made is in equal balance with everything else in the world
Arjun Viswanathan :D
"I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
ReplyDeleteThis passage truely resembles some of Whitman's and Transendentalism's themes. For one, there is a constant "simpleness" that is flowing through "Song of Myself". Also, in the same simpleness, Whitman is trying to say that we are who we are and we cannot change that. And that you must accept who you are and be the best you can be. Another idealistic theme that is incoporated into these few lines is Pantheism. For example in the third line, "For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." Whitman is stating through this line means that we are all one of the same energy. Also, that we are all humans living on earth and we need to stop segregating and just share what we have.
Chris Maier
“A child said What is the grass? Fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he. I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven.”
ReplyDeleteI really like this quote because it shows that the author is mindful of everyone, even if it is a child. This is because one would think that a child wouldn’t know much more about grass than the fact that it is green and grows out of the ground. However the author assumes that maybe the child can see the pantheistic nature of grass and other things like plants. And that maybe the child can see the beauty of the grass and that there is God in everything. I like the word choice that the author uses such as “green stuff woven” and “the flag of my disposition”. Word choice is important to the author so that he can portray the exact message he wants. I think this quote is very interesting to read and break down. Also the style of this section is kind of using questions to ask why a child couldn’t be smart and understanding like me. It works well for the poem and is well written.
“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. Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged, missing me one place search another, I stop somewhere waiting for you.”
I thought that this passage was really cool and it is talking about death and what happens after you die. The structure to these six lines is simple; there is no repetition or anything alike between the lines. One of the most significant parts of this section is the end where the author states that “I stop somewhere waiting for you”. Throughout the entire poem the author uses the universal “I”, referring to himself only however at the very end the author says “you”. All of these lines seem to send a sort of hopeful message that your body and self will go on to be used in other ways. Like the fact that you could end up growing as grass and being on the underside of your shoe.
-Rob Denman
"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey work of the stars, / And the pismire is equally perfect, and a grain of sand, and the egg of the wren, / And the tree-toad is a ched-d'oeuvre for the highest, / And the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven, / And the narrowest hinge in my hand puts to scorn all machinery, / And the cow crunching with depress'd head surpasses any statue, / And a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels," (section 31).
ReplyDeleteThis passage is written with a repeating list style. In the list, it compares many different things, but in a way draws them together and compares them. All of these objects and creatures are drawn together by the overlooking force of nature, and its spirit that connects all of the earth.
Ed
"Have You Reckon'd a thousand acres much? have yiu Reckon'd the earth much? / Have you practis'd so long to learn to read? / Have you felt so porud to get at the meaning of poems?"(2)
ReplyDeleteIn this exerpt Whitman's listing quality. Whitman lists almost everything and this poem is really just one big list. This exerpt also shows how Whitman uses questions to get his point across. Whitman uses heavy repitition through out his poems and this exerpt shows us that when he uses the "-'d" ending, another importantpartof Whitmans poetry is his word chose, word are not always chosen for there meaning but because of how they sound and i believe that he decided to use the "-'d" ending because of how it sounded.
>>>>Josh Painter<<<<
"i am not earth nor an adjunct of an earth, i am the mate and companion of my people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself"
ReplyDelete"i am not earth nor an adjunct of an earth, i am the mate and companion of my people" whitman is explaning how he isnt part of the earth, but hes part of the people on the earth. "all just as immortal and fathomless as myself"he compares himself to everyone on earth and says that were all equal.
"every kind for itself and its own, for me mine male and femane, for me those that have been boysand that love women" hes talking about he has no preference, weather male or female he doesnt mind
- Andy Jessiman
Passage 1:
ReplyDelete“I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun,
I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags.
I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love,
If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.
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.
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.”
This passage, I think, has one of the strongest messages. Walt’s style is all about the universal “I”, which he emphasizes in “Song of Myself”. However, at the very end, he uses the word you when he states, “I stop somewhere waiting for you”. Though I don’t completely understand the ending passage, I think that it emphasizes his loving personality. In a way, he’s saying his love with go on for eternity. He states, “If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles”. He believes that he will never completely be gone.
Passage 2:
“And I say to mankind, Be not curious about God,
For I who am curious about each am not curious about God,
(No array of terms can say how much I am at peace about God and about death.)
I hear and behold God in every object, yet understand God is not in the least,
Nor do I understand who there can be more wonderful than myself.”
This passage emphasizes Walt Whitman’s ego. However, it emphasizes his belief in equality and the beauty of humanity at the same time. He believes that all human beings are beautiful. He is a person that finds the beauty in the ugly and dirty. He does not hold God in high standards like the rest. He believes that God is no better than himself. God is just another person in Walt’s eyes. He does not put him down, but does not believe that he is this figure of judgment and complete holiness, as he is typically believed to be.
- Shana P.
“The city sleeps and the country sleeps,
ReplyDeleteThe living sleep for their time, the dead sleep for their time,
The old husband sleeps by his wife and the young husband sleeps by his wife;
And these tend inward to me, and I tend outward to them,
And such as it is to be of these more or less I am,
And of these one and all I weave the song of myself.” (Section 15)
The narrator is trying to say that no matter who somebody is they will go through the same things other people go through in life. He then says even if the situations they go through are not exactly the same they still are taught the same lesson and gain the same amount of knowledge. He says the lessons learned formed who he is.
-Reilly
"You will hardly know who I am or what I mean,
ReplyDeleteBut I shall be good health to you nevertheless,
And filtre and fibre your blood." (Section 52)
Walt Whitman is saying that when he dies he will most likely be forgotten at some point. However, the things he had done and accomplished in his life were worthwhile to him and would probably change the world. He says his actions that made the world better would be remembered.
-Reilly
A chid say What is the grass?fetching it to me with full hands;How could I answer the child? I do not not know what it is anymore than he.(6)
ReplyDeleteThis means that he uses nature as a key part because he loves it so much and he believes that if you stop ans smell the roses once in a while you can have a great life. Alos it is aying that he does not have all the answers and no one does but the message is no one knows everything and you just have to think about it for yourself and maybe something will come to you. It is saying The woerds are basically saying you have your life to figure it out like why the grass is green and not blue so he is that I dont know and nature is all around us wihich is one of the themes and just take a glance at it.
"And what i assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you"(1)
This talking about how we are all equal and no one is better than the other people because money is not everything. Also it is talking about all of us just as one and not excluding people because we all live together so why can't we just get along and just move on. People always should have a positve outlook on people because if we don't like them you don't have to be mean you can say good comments like good mourning or how is it going because money cannot buy happiness.
-Ben Brossi
There are some excellent analytical insights!
ReplyDeleteOne of these does not have a name...let m eknow if it's yours so you can get credit.
LC
"My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air, / Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their / parents the same, / I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, / Hoping to cease not till death."
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt is another example of the common themes in Transcendentalism. This resembles more pantheistic ideals and including the same simpleness that is occuring throughout this style of writing. "Hoping to cease not till death" means to me that you should keep on giving it your best for as long as you can.
Chris Maier
"I have said that the soul is not more than the body, / And I have said that the body is not more than the soul, / And nothing, not God, is greater to one than one's self is, / And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud..." (48).
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt shows that everyone is equal, and that there is no true God, but that everyone is a God in their own right. Nobody truly needs a Higher Power, just belief in themselves.
Ed
"And i say to mankind, be not curious about god/for i who am curious about each am not curoius about god/(no array if terms can say how much i am at peace about god and about death)"
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt show that you can belive in god, or you dont have to and nothing is wrong with not beliving in him. Also it shows that everyone is equal by everyone being the same wether or not they belive in god.
Evan Marchetta
"Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems, You shall possess the good of the earth and sun, (there are millions of suns left,) You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed the spectres in books, You shall not look trough my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself."
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt is picking apart the ideas of a poem and how you should have your own ideas, not take other ideas. Whitman uses descriptive language to emphasize his ideas. Whitman is trying to get a point across in this excerpt by explaning the ideas he has.
"A child said what is this grass? fetching it to me with full hands; How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he."
Whitman does not know the answer to the childs question because Whitman has the same question as the child. Whitman includes nature in this excerpt because of its importance.
- Kristina Darmiento
" I hear and behold god in every subject, yet understand god not in the least/nor do i understand who there can be more wonderful than myself"
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt shows that god is everwhere, in everything, and there is no way to avoid it. Also that god is a very strong part of some people and can be found anywhere.
Evan Marchetta