Democracy in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself - Essay Example

Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself’ Introduction The poem ‘Song of Myself’ was written and published by Walt Whitman. The poem was first published in the 1855 edition of Whitman’s book ‘Leaves of Grass’. In the second edition of this book, Whitman renamed it (the book) as ‘Poem of Walt Whitman, an American’. So from the very beginning, Whitman’s attitude was to reflect on being an American, or in a more particular sense, a citizen of the United States. This paper is aimed at arguing and supporting how ‘Song of Myself’ is a truly American poem. In furtherance to this objective, the paper seeks to contemplate the democratic approach that we find in the poem along with its emergence as an American epic. ‘Song of Myself’: A Truly American Poem The United States of America is actually a part of the North America; hence it does not represent the whole of the New World. The New World, from the perspective of Europe, is based on a mixture of the cultures of the European colonists from Britain, Spain, Portugal, etc. and Native Americans like Incas, Sioux, Red Indians, etc. Therefore, after the inception of United States in 1776, when the country boastfully sought to commence its journey as America, the question of cultural identity emerged. However, despite the fact that the country was dominated by Catholic White Europeans (majority of whom spoke English), multicultural zeal remained a very much mainstream idea of American life. This multicultural zeal led to the urge of free mixing and knowing; and a geographical, cultural, and historical realm of rapid intellectual development came in existence. American English was the best medium to describe this epoch, which got a full fledge expression in Whitman’s poem ‘Song of Myself’. The most copious cultural aspect of this literary work is that it directly relates to the natural flora and fauna and physiographic relief that we generally find in the U.S. Consequently, a geographical cum cultural evolution is very evident in the work. In this way, the poem “finds its material in the common, familiar, and everyday life of Americans everywhere.” (Skipp, 40) Not only the vastly material concepts related to America have been utilized in this text, but also the county’s culture is extended to both spirituality and day to day life by the means of exquisite visualization and description. Reynolds has rightly pointed out this poetry as a comprehensive “cultural biography” (1) of America. It presents the narrator as a commentator and communicator too and redefines his/her existence through an outright pluralist viewpoint typical to an American. Democratic Approach What does democracy mean? Politicians and intellectuals can debate to find an answer to this question, but in the context of American life democracy is not merely a system but a vivid practice too. Whitman has emphasized a powerful, egoist usage of the pronouns ‘I’ and ‘me’. And in the same go, he constructs and reconstructs lots of statements. Further, he asserts, “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” (Section 1) Thus, the very existence granulates into co-existence and existential aspirations; and the philosophy of mutual exchange coupled with transcendentalist attitude further manifest in the following words, “It is you talking just as much as myself … I act as the tongue of you” (Section 47). So, a system of expressionism, open dialogue, free speech, and intellectual exchange is established, which provides a very realistic definition of the term democracy itself. Such an approach must have a political implication too. And the politico-historic significance of this work is further discovered in the Civil War. Whitman had published this poem in 1855 at New York (notably, slavery had been already abolished in New York) and the U.S. was plunged into a Civil War and a long course of internal confrontations throughout the 1860s. Hence, the poem depicts the turbulence of a contemporary American mind, who craved emancipation. Practically, this pursuit becomes the core democratic value of the text. Becoming an American Epic An epic poetry has certain features, which the ‘Song of Myself’ also exhibits. Although the standard stanza and verse patterns are not followed, the poem has a complex mix of both romanticism and realism even in the strictest literary sense. The length of the poem coupled with its style of free verse compels the critic to be struck with awe. According to Gray, Whitman might have done a sort of language experiment through this work. “What is experimented with, in particular, is the possibility of an American epic. Attempts at an epic writing of the nation had, of course, been made before – by, for instance, Cotton Mather and Joel Barlow. It was, however, Whitman who discovered, or rather invented, the form epic would assume in the New World.” (Gray, 211) In this poem, the narrator appears to be the central character. Strangely enough in the context of mid 19th century, this central character is very humble. In Whitman’s words, “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.” (Section 52) The poet is thus set as a democratic, representative person who perceives and/or invents his/her values and identities with the reader. In this way, this long poetry becomes very democratic, and hence, typically American in both structure and attitude. “Each reading becomes an act of co-production, joint creation, a reinventing or fresh making of the text.” (Gray, 211) The poem aptly deserves to be called an American epic. Conclusion Although due to much expressionism and occasional sexuality coupled with bold assertions the poem has been attacked by the social conservatives, the poem remains an enjoyable but complex literary work in the sphere of American English and the world literature itself. So great is the influence of this poetry that over time controversies regarding it have become rather insignificant. The poem can be considered as a very relevant account of American life, which has a universal appeal too. The poem has played an active role in framing the fundamentals of the American Dream, which has dominated almost the whole world in the Post-Soviet era. Works Cited Gray, Richard. A History of American Literature. Hobokon: Wiley, 2011. Print. Reynolds, David S. Walt Whitman's America: A Cultural Biography. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Print. Skipp, Francis E. American Lierature. New York: Baron's Educational Series Inc., 1992. Print. Whitman, Walt. "Song of Myself." Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. New York: Author, 1855. Print. Read More