"Song of Myself"

[Kristofer Khoury]

"Song of Myself" leads me to think of Whitman as a true realist.
Whitman portrays life on how it is lived rather that how it should be
lived. Whitman acknowledges human identity as temporary but
transcendant. Whitman's "Song of Myself" doesn't focus solely on
Whitman but instead focuses on human existence as a whole. Whitman
uses "I" to address not only himself, but the reader and all of
humanity. Whitman is truly sold on equality which he gives in the
first stanza. " I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume
you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to
you." Meaning in all aspects humans are not different from one
another.
Whitman celebrates democracy and nature in ways that all are
equal. The abilities that are available are overlooked by mankind. It
is only fair for our abilities to be similar. Whitman asks, "have you
reckon'd a thousand acres much? have you reckon'd the earth much?" We
are all from the same place and live such ordinary lives that Whitman
wants us to understand the lives of others and life itself. Whitman is
saying that we are all one with the world, the universe.
"Song of Myself" has lead me to believe that Whitman was an
idealist that looked at life in a manner that no matter the person,
the circumstance, or the actions of others, humans should seek to
understand nature and life together for they are symbolic of each
other.
Whitman engaged me as a reader but lost me as a comprehender.His
use of free verse without any rhyme or meter I thought was superb but
difficult in a way to understand the themes of identity and
transcendence. I grabbed the theme of the poem but was lost in the
outskirts of his examples to understand. He lead me to believe that we
should become one with the universe and mankind.