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'song of myself'--walt whitman - Essay Example

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Name Subject Date “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman “Song of Myself” is deservingly considered to be the poem that introduces Walt Whitman and his ideas to us. The reader is able to see how Whitman understands the world. We see the author travelling and he is not travelling alone, but together with the reader…
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The style of a poet is rather unique and allows our imagination to draw many conclusions about the ideas he wants to convey. In section 42 the author wants people to listen to him and follow him: “Come my children, Come my boys and girls, my women, household and intimates” (Section 42). He is talking about eternity of our world and the recurrence of events. Whitman used the word “ever” to express his belief in the world’s eternity. According to the author, our world is full of both positive and negative things and this is the way it should be.

At the same time in the section we can meet the criticism of the elites who demand too much wealth. Whitman insists that all the people have common interests and like the same things like newspapers, news, real estate and Whitman also likes them. Rich individuals do not differ from others anyhow. The author wants us to be closer to what is really happening in our world instead of providing explanations of these events. According to Whitman, religion is something that is focused on something unreal and does not pay attention to the real things, which are around us.

He is sure that we should not think too much about something that is far from us, we should care about reachable things. The author prefers to look at the things around us and wants us to look at them closer. In section 47 Whitman tries the role of a sage but he tries it in a special way. Here he represents a teacher, who wants their pupils to become better than he is “ am the teacher of athletes, He that by me spreads a wider breast than my own proves the width of my own, He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher” (Section 47) .

Whitman is talking about a boy who is not afraid of difficulties, who is ready to become a man by means of overcoming them. The author does not like effeminate and coddled men, who try to avoid difficulties. He is sure that every man should find his own way in life and work honestly, not for money, but to be useful for the society. Whitman likes those who is engaged in manual labor, he respects farmers, mothers, mechanics, the author talks first of all to them as he values their work high, notwithstanding that in the society they usually have rather low position and income (Greenspan 34).

Throughout the poem we can notice the repeated usage of the word “wicked”. It seems that the author really likes this word and gives different meanings to it using it in different context. In section 42 Whitman says: “Ever myself and my neighbors, refreshing, wicked, real” (Section 42). Here the word “wicked” carries a bit positive meaning and the author insists that there is nothing ugly and unacceptable in the world: “Ever love, ever the sobbing liquid of life, Ever the bandage under the chin, ever the trestles of death” (Section 42).

Here “wicked” means “sinful”, but it is natural for people to be sinful and love is the most natural thing for them. In section 37 author also uses this word in order to state that he does not deny anyone, he is ready to communicate with all the kinds of people without any exceptions: “This is the meal equally set, this the meat for natural hunger, It is for the wicked just the same as the righteous, I make appointments with all, I will not have a single person slighted or left away” (Section 37).

Whitman considers all the people to be equal, first of all because they have common interests and

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