Leaves of Grass

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Leaves of Grass

Section 1: Song of Myself

Leaves of Grass has a number of poems of which some are divided into sections. This is evident in the poem Song of Myself. In the first section of the poem, the poet focuses on the self. The poet starts by saying “I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself,” (sec 1, st.1, line 1). This shows that he is proud of who he is, his routes and what he has done. In today’s world, the poem can be related to the self realization period. This is a time when one realizes him/herself and is proud of it. It is also a time when one is proud of his routes, his surrounding (including his country), his/her accomplishments and their failures.

When one realizes him/herself, he/she can be able to realize what surrounds him/her. For example, in the succeeding sections, he is able to point out about the strengths and the weaknesses of the political arena of the time (Whitman & Ezra 35). He is especially proud of the country he was born in and his ancestral routes. He says “Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same” (sec 1 St. 3, lines 7&8). In today’s world, there are those who are quick to criticize their homes (whether residential or countries) without paying attention to themselves and whether they are proud of who they are.

I chose this section because the self realization time is a time that will continue to take place in people’s lives even in the future. The poem also serves as an encouragement as it shows that one can realize themselves at whatever age. The poet realized himself at the age of thirty-seven “I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,” (St. 3, line 9). After he realized himself, he started viewing the world around him through another angle. He started noting the injustices, the strengths, the weaknesses and the general political actions of his time.

The Sleepers

This poem mostly explores the theme of empathy. Like in his other poems, Whitman associates sleep (death in the other poems) as a point of contact with other human beings (Knight 412). For example, he incorporates other people’s anecdotes in his poem as though they were his. Although his main message is that there should be democratic equality, he also feels that the wonderful diversity of experiences and persons should be maintained “I am the actor, the actress, the voter, the politician…” (Sec1 St. 18).

The poet uses imagery and symbols in order to communicate his message. For example, he has used a male lover. This lover is symbolic of the ultimate communication and sympathy that should be among the people. In the poet’s eyes, sex represents both the eroticism of the physical self and the highest type of intellectual and emotional discourse. The sleep (unconsciousness) in the poetry symbolizes a democratic utopia that can only be achieved in ideal times. Such words as “the blind sleep, and the deaf and dumb sleep” (Sec 1 St. 10) shows the similarities we have as a people no matter the differences and weaknesses we posses. By realizing ourselves, we are able to learn that we are alike in more ways than we normally realize.

The use of rhyming words in the poem gives the poem a rhythm thus making it interesting while reading the message portrayed. The democracy message is the very significant during that period a people self realized themselves. The message had to be portrayed poetically as people approached the period of the civil war. Through sleep, the poet communicates the message as though it were a dream. When one wakes up up, they will be motivated to accomplish the dream and thus have democracy in the real world.

Works Cited

Knight, Denise D. Writers of the American Renaissance: an A-to-Z guide. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass. New York, NY: Digireads, 2008. Print.

Whitman, Walt & Ezra Greenspan. Walt Whitman’s “Song of myself”: a sourcebook and critical edition. New York, NY: Routledge, 2005. Print.