“Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman
I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul,
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,
Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance,
Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten, I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,
Nature without check with original energy.
“Song of Myself” Analysis by Maggie Seaver
Walt Whitman, an American poet, is known for his poems to be scandalous and not proper for the time. Many of his works are known as free works, meaning his poems do not rhyme or have a natural rhythm to them. The title “Song of Myself” already tells the readers that the written work comes across in an arrogant and snobbish tone. Though, this poem’s tone is optimistic and confident. The author’s tone in this poem relates to the theme of America.
Americans have a reputation of being arrogant and greedy. For example, the Manifest Destiny was the American idea that they had the right to expand territory because God thought
Americans were the superior people. Both Whitman and the American, Manifest Destiny idea praise themselves for their excellence through a separate way. Whitman’s poem has aspects of transcendentalism by including nature imagery in his lines such as the words soil, grass, and air. His writing style allows the readers to interpret it figuratively or literally.
“Song of Myself” is a poem primarily about the praising of oneself. Because the poem is about how the narrator is his own inspiration, there are different examples in the first section of the poem that can be interpreted as subtle bragging. Whitman is so confident in himself by saying “what [he] assumes, you should assume” too (Whitman 1). The line is an example of conceitedness because it means whatever Whitman believes/says, all humanity should believe the same idea since he must always be right. In section one, the narrator starts off by congratulating himself for his abilities. The narrator is boastful by saying parts of him are perfect. He includes a contradicting sentence about an “atom belonging to [him]” is “as good belongs to you” (Whitman 1). This quote could mean that he views others, compared to him, just as perfect and equal. Though, this quote could be another way of escaping with his boastfulness.
The narrator was “born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,” meaning that he was the one who made himself great and successful (Whitman 1).
This quote also refers to God, that God was not the reason for his accomplishments. It can be inferred that Whitman is a tenacious person because he will not “cease till death” (Whitman1).
He will continue praising himself until there is no other possibility. Though, it does not seem as if he is just celebrating himself, but all of humanity. His poem not only celebrates himself, but the powerfulness of all people. This part of Whitman’s poem reminds the readers that they should celebrate themselves the way Whitman celebrates himself since he says that everyone shares just as good atoms.
