Perennial with the Earth, with Freedom, Law and Love” 3. Strong, ample, fair, enduring, capable, rich, From “America”Īll, all alike endear’d, grown, ungrown, young or old, The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,Įach singing what belongs to him or her and to none 2. The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown, The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands, The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck, The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work, “The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam, We have categorized them under two themes: “Free, American, and proud” and “Song of myself: the gayest passages.” Free, American, and Proud 1. are some of his most celebrated verses and quotes, some of which are poems in their entirety. You could even call him a closeted gay, but there’s no doubt that Whitman was way ahead of his time. Although Whitman denied any such thing, he didn’t shy away from writing about it. Though homosexuality is as old as time, an early reception of Leaves of Grass expresses rejection of what were overtly homosexual passages, suggesting Whitman was guilty of “that horrible sin not to be mentioned among Christians.” Whitman’s sexuality was debated in his own time and people even often asked him about it directly others provided secondhand testimonies of it. There’s plenty of that, actually, but the significance of it is how ahead of his time Whitman was. “Calamus” is probably the most overtly homoerotic of his poems, but we have selected passages from “Song of Myself” that capture this spirit even better. Speaking of equality, critics and historians often debate about Whitman’s actual sexuality, but whatever the man identified as, his poetry is what matters. And, most importantly, Whitman is concerned with equality. His themes also reflect a concern with the nation, the individual, the body, everyday people, life, and work.
WALT WHITMAN SONG OF MYSELF DAYNOTES FREE
Free verse, however, sought to imitate common speak and offered verse that could be read and appreciated by everyone. Though Whitman’s poetry is highly rhythmic, it’s not constrained to specific forms. He has been called the poet of democracy and the father of free verse.
“I Hear America Singing,” he names several of the workers who make America, or the America of the time, at least, and glorifies their acute sense of individuality. Whitman, however, set out to write an epic poem to the common people. “Song of Myself” is probably his most recognized poem, and though it would seem highly self-centered, the truth about the poem is that the speaker isn’t necessarily Whitman himself but a single voice, also called Walt Whitman, that “contains multitudes.” The interesting thing about this poem is that songs or epic poems are usually dedicated to heroes that have performed incredible feats, usually legendary kings, great warriors, adventurers, or just rulers. His concern regarding the United States and the idea of America as something to be sought permeate through his work, perhaps more than any other preoccupation. If you don’t think Walt Whitman was the best American poet in history, you can at least consider him the most American poet out of the best.
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