Song of Myself (1881) Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman & Song of Individualism

«All truth wait in all things» (30)

«I take part, I see and hear the whole» (33)

«Not words of routine this song of mine, But abrubtly to question, to leap beyond yet nearer bring» (42)

«There is that in me - I do not know what it is - but I know it is in me» (50)

I will look at verse 42 to 46, and examine how Whitman views the individual and the cycle of

life. In these passages he speaks of the mystery of humankind and life itself, and he is getting

closer to a «conclusion» of his song. There is a sense of a cyclic view of life, where recreation

and a positive belief in progress. Furthermore there is this collective solidarity, unity among

humankind Moreover Whitman seem to suggest that we all are culmination of history.

Outline of verse:

42

Gathering his listeners, readers and express a communion with the common man, since it is the

core of everyday life, and thus the most important. He underlines the importance of the common

man`s right as constitutional. Furthermore Whitman utters an collective feeling with his fellow-

humans before he in the last passage in the verse starts to justify his song of himself as it is part

of the larger search for the answers to the greater meaning of life`s mystery and its elementary

questions of reason, love and life.

43

In this verse Whitman ventures into religious faith and the belief of a metaphysical recreation of

man and moreover a deep belief in religious unity, or acceptance of all religious beliefs. He

continues with speaking of the culmination of man, that we are being pushed by the past and that

we are part of the culmination of generations succeeding us. In this philosophy there lies a hope,

where nobody that lives a life should feel that they have lived in vain.

44

In the next verse the poet reveals that he will explain himself in a ceremonious manner. Again

there is this sense of collectivity, as we all stand together in the search of the meaning in the great

Unknown. He brings up the mystery of time, the flow of time, which to us mortals seem eternal,

but he does also stress the fact that everyone and everything is equally important within its period

and place. The thought that we are embodied history, or an acme of things accomplished in the

past are next presented, in the same manner as we are encloser as things to come. In the latter

part of the verse Whitman focuses on individuality and egocentric view of our existence and how

we are culimination of our history`s past generations, and this is why he, as individual, stands in

the moment, on this spot, with his robust soul.

45

Here Whitman speaks of life force and how death is just a lucky continuance of life, and again

we are back at the flow of time and how life springs out of death. This optimistic progressionism

continues until the end of the verse and the glorious limitless possibilities ahead. This

evolutionary thought seem to accumulate into a celestial goal, where the Lord will wait for man

as he ascends into a higher understanding of the universe and divinity.

46

Whitman opens this verse by proclaiming how free he is a human and how he never has been

judged, or measured by time or space in his existence as human. Then he commences a passage

where he portrays life as a journey, which the listener, or reader, should join. Here the «I»

appears to be a mentor, a teacher, a tutor, whose duty is to lead the way for the listener. The

mentor encourages the individual to trust himself if he desire a higher meaning of existence and

life`s mystery. At the end of the verse Whitman expresses his unconditional love for humanity

and his evolutionary belief in humankind`s positive dispositions, by portraying the individual as

a being of incredible opportunities and potential in allegories of dreams and water.

1. Solidarity and unity

Throughout Song of Myself Whitman emphasizes the feeling of unity between people and

nature, between people and animals and among people themselves.

«I acknowledge the duplicates of myself, the weakest and shallowest is deathless with me,

What I do and say the same waits for them, Every thought that flounders in me the same

flounders in them.» (42)

This collective feeling that binds people together are centered on the ego, and relies upon

an incredible belief in the individual. Self-awareness is essential for us as humans if we desire to

understand the mystery of humankind and the great questions of life.

2. Search for understanding of humankind and its mystery

Whitman writes on this self-awareness;

«I know perfectly well my own egotism,

Know my omnivorous lines and must not write any less,

And would fetch you whoever you are flush with myself.

Not words of routine this song of mine,

But abruptly to question, to leap beyond yet nearer bring;

This printed and bound book - but the printer and the printing-office boy?

The well-taken photographs - but your wife or friend close and solid in your

arms?

The black ship mail`d with iron, her mighty guns in her turrets - but the

pluck of the captain and engineers?

In the houses the dishes and fare and furniture - but the host and hostess,

and the look out of their eyes?

The sky up there - yet here or next door, or across the way?

The saints and sages in history - but you yourself?

Sermons, creeds, theology - but the fathomless human brain,

And what is reason? and what is love? and what is life?» (42)

It is in the smaller, trivial things of everyday life, we see the miracle of life. But we need to see

«beyond» the surface of things, see the reality of it, see the people behind the words of books, the

human relationships in photographs or the working men of a ship. That is where we must search

for answers to the questions of life`s mystery. That is where the magic is, the magic of life,

where we can search for answers. Whitman defends his «song» in terms of it not being «words of

routine», but of importance, an importance where humans should question and to seek answers to

these questions.

3. Metaphysical recreation & cycle of life

The cycle of life is described, as it is a reincarnation of life, where the flow of life and death is an

inevitable mechanism of the universe. Whitman explains that his «faith is the greatest of faiths

and the least of faiths» and he supports the thought that life is circular, symbolizing it with the

action of «powpowing with sticks in the circle of obis». Whitman accepts all religions and sees a

unity between them, there exist a «centripetal and centrifugal» pattern in the universe.

Through metaphysical recreation Whitman believes that he «shall come again upon the

earth after five thousand years». Out of death springs life.

4. Culimination of history

Whitman seem to view himself and his fellow humans of the moment the culmination of history,

everything that has occurred through history, of war and peace, of all human and natural

experience, we are as humans now the culmination of the past, in the same way as we will be

part of history and then our successors will be the culmination. Whitman writes;

«Be at peace bloody flukes of doubters and sullen mopers,

I take my place among you as much as among any,

The past is the push of you, me, all, precisely the same,

And what is yet untried and afterward is for you, me, all, precisely the

same.» (43)

We are the culmination of the past, as Whitman writes; «The past is the push of you, me, all...»

Moreover, «and what is yet untried and afterward» will remain the same challenge and

cumulative for our successors. We are the same, since we are part of each other in a collective

union.

5. Hope and faith

Whitman goes on to show how we all serve the greater purpose of this collective union in the

same verse. Nobody lives in vain. «Each who passes is consider`d, each who stops is consider`d,

not a single on can it fail.» By living we cannot fail. Whitman continues; «Nor the old man who

has lived without a purpose, and feels it with bitterness worse than gall»

In this there lies a hope and a genuine positive belief and hope that all humans live for a

reason. Life is meaningful because we are part of the collective union, of the flow of the universe

and we do not live for ourselves alone, we live for the ones that has lived, and for the ones that

will live after us. «I am an acme of things accomplish`d, and I an encloser of things to be.» (44)

6. Flow of time

In verse 44 Whitman exclaims; «It is time to explain myself - let us stand up», as if it was highly

ceremonial. He tries to clarify his attempt at getting at the big «Unknown» and he desires to

understand it collectively, with «all men and women forward».

The flow of time is consistent and enormous, we have lived «trillions of winters and

summers» and there are multitudes ahead. Whitman ponders the mystery of time and eternity, but

sees the equality of all times, because they all serve their purpose according to time and place, or

as he writes; «That which fills its period and place is equal to any».

7. Ego-centrism and individualism

This sense of culmination of history where the individual is «an acme of things accomplish`d is

extremely egocentric, although it also focuses upon human solidarity, brotherhood between all

humans regardless of the flow of time, because the flow of time is exactly what binds us

together. This egocentrism is seen many places in these verses, especially at the end of verse 44,

where he declares;

«Immense have been the preparations for me,

Faithful and friendly the arms that have help`d me.

Cycles ferried my cradle, rowing and rowing like cheerful boatmen,

For rooms to me stars kept aside in their own rings,

They sent influences to look after what was to hold me.

Before I was born out of my mother generations guided me,

My embryo has never been torpid, nothing could overlay it.»

Again is this belief in progression of humankind, where there is an evolutionary plan and that the

individual is the center of the universe, but at the same time only a part of it. We all owe it to our

past preceding generations that we now exist, in the same way that our succeeding generations

will in time owe it to us. Gratefully we embrace our past and enclose our future. In this we find

completeness, a purpose and a meaning, but it still exist a mystery. It`s a mystery of time and the

universe.

8. Life is a journey

In verse 46 Whitman opens; « I know I have the best of time and space, and was never measured

and never till be measured.» There lies a freedom in living, life is a journey of exploration,

exploration of one`s abilities, of one`s possibilities. Life`s offers is endless, and Whitman

encourages the individual to trust himself;

«Not I , not any one else can travel that road for you,

You must travel it for yourself.

It is not far, it is within reach,

Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know,

Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land.

Shoulder your duds dear son, and I will mine, and let us hasten forth,

Wonderful cities and free nations we shall fetch as we go.»

By trusting ourselves we will come closer to the truth, to the core of the mystery of living. By

trusting ourselves we fulfill our obligations as human beings. Only by living out our full

potential we fulfill our duties of being humans.

9. Divinity in man

As an transcendentalist, Whitman also brings forth the notion that man is divine, that there exist

this divinity in man, when we pursue our spirit, as he does himself and his spirit tells him that if

he pursues the answers of life`s mystery «we but level that lift to pass and continue beyond». We

will elevate ourselves spiritually and accomplish completeness and divinity that lies potentially in

us.

10. Whitman as mentor

Whitman`s «I» in Song of Myself appears as a mentor to the reader. He shows great affection for

humanity and sees potential divinity and collective solidarity in it. We are all part of the universe

and our mission is to reach a higher understanding of things, and in order to do this we need to

trust ourselves, be unconventional, individual and live for the flow of time in a life loving

manner.