FREE ESSAY ON WHITMAN'S SONG OF MYSELF

WHITMAN'S SONG OF MYSELF

In section twenty four of "Song of Myself" Walt Whitman describes the relationship he has
with everything else in this world. Whitman's description reflects his beliefs about
radical equality and the love of nature. He does this by using a few different poetic
devices. When reading this section it seems that Whitman is extremely vain, but he
prepares the reader for this in the first stanza. He explains that he is just the same as
every other person and is "No more modest than immodest." This stanza sets up the rest of
the section.
After the reader has been warned in the first stanza, the next three stanzas describe the
state of mind Whitman is in when creating this section of the poem. The "doors" in the
second stanza are representative of the doors of the mind that keep it from expanding too
far. Whitman is telling the reader to throw away all preconceived thoughts and listen to
what he says. The third stanza is the basis from which Whitman draws the rest of his
theory of radical equality. The "afflatus" in the next stanza is the theory or
inspiration flowing through Whitman and taking over his body and mind. From here Whitman
reveals the rest of his theories.
The next three stanzas are about Whitman's theory of radical equality. The first is an
outburst of emotion to show how strongly he feels about this concept. In the second he
assumes the position as the speaker for everyone and everything. He then describes
everyone and everything for which he speaks. These things range from "slaves" and
"dwarfs" to "fog in the air" and "the threads that connect the stars." Whitman thinks he
can speak for all of these things because they are all a part of him. He is connected to
everything and therefore everything affects him. In the next stanza he changes these
voices so that they can be heard by everyone.
The rest of the section is about Whitman's belief in a universal love of nature. He
introduces this theory in the stanza beginning "I believe in the flesh and the
appetites." Whitman chooses the most controversial way to talk about nature, but this is
what makes his work so interesting. The next line seems uppity because he calls himself a
miracle, but in the following stanza he shows why this is. Whitman increases the
controversy of his work by then stating that he is more divine than "churches, bibles,
and all the creeds." He defends his statement with the argument that he is a part of
nature and they are not so he is better. He explains that he is a part of everything that
shapes the world and so is everybody else. He uses epistrophe in this stanza to stress
the words "it shall be you." In line forty-nine Whitman says that he would prefer a
morning-glory to books to emphasize the superiority of nature over man-made things. The
following stanzas continue to glorify all kinds of nature and how it is a part of him.
Whitman clearly feels that nature is an incredible thing that touches everyone and should
be recognized as all powerful by all.