In His First Edition Of The Poem, “Song Of Myself”, Whitman’S

In his first edition of the poem, â€Å"Song of Myself†, Whitman’s poem takes a bold move when it strictly focuses on the glorification of himself. Whitman’s use of arrogant diction helps convey a condescending tone that suggests the speaker is superior to others. However, this egotistical belief is complicated in his poem when his use of inclusive diction invokes a friendly welcoming environment. Through his Speaker, Whitman uses these shifts of diction to present contradictions which allow the reader to encounter multiple emotions. At the same time, his use of free verse structure invokes a sense of unpredictability that literally allows the reader to encounter the multiplicity of everyday experiences in life. Hence, the text promotes†¦show more content†¦In these lines, the idea of expanding the United States into new territory is alluding to the Manifest Destiny belief that American culture was superior to that of any other inhabitant. In fact, the speaker suggests that he is full of power and on his way to conquer and spread his â€Å"ordinances† to the whole earth. One important thing to note is that this is probably the most egotistical and condescending tone one can take on another group. Most importantly, the reader is left with a bit of annoyance towards the fact that the speaker feels that it is his/her duty to bring order in the world. However, this egotistical belief is complicated in his poem when the speaker shifts diction from arrogant to inclusive, which invokes a friendly and welcoming tone. Moreover, Whitman uses these shifts of diction to allow the reader to encounter a new emotion. The reader cannot neglect the third line that states, â€Å"[f]or every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you† (21). Right from the start, the speaker wants to make sure that everyone is feeling equal. Even if the poem distinguishes the â€Å"I†Show MoreRelated walt whitman Essay1383 Words   |  6 Pagesimmodestly praised the human body and glorified the senses, â€Å"Walt Whitman’s poems assert the worth of the individual and the oneness of all humanity.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Walt Whitman was an American poet who was born on May 31, 1819, near Huntington, N.Y. He was the second of a family of nine children. His father was a carpenter and his mother, who he a had a close relationship,was a housewife. When he was four years old, his family moved to Brooklyn, where he attended public school for sixRead MoreWalt Whitmans Influences1411 Words   |  6 PagesWalt Whitman’s influence to American Literary History After the Civil War, Walt Whitman realized that the American people were in need of their own identity. Therefore, he wrote the book â€Å"Leaves of Grass† with the goal of creating a literature piece that was authentic and organic to the United States in every sense. Whitman introduced to literature the idea of the â€Å"American Dream† and highlighted how important it was for the American people to develop their own identity. Consequently, he rejectedRead MoreEssay about American Influences of Walt Whitman1476 Words   |  6 PagesAmerican Influences of Walt Whitman In his poems and life, Walt Whitman celebrated the human spirit and the human body. He sang the praises of democracy and marveled at the technological advances of his era. His direct poetic style shocked many of his contemporaries. This style, for which Whitman is famous, is in direct relation to several major American cultural developments. The development of American dictionaries, the growth of baseball, the evolution of Native American policy, and the developmentRead MoreEssay on Analysis of Women Rights in Leaves of Grass1591 Words   |  7 Pageswhen the first edition of Leaves of Grass was published, the first Women’s Convention had already taken place in Seneca Falls. According to Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass is a women’s book. In the epigraph of Sherry Ceniza’s Walt Whitman and 19th-century women reformers she quotes him having said â€Å"Leaves of Grass I essentially a woman’s book: the women do it know it, but every now and then a woman shows that she knows it† (Ceniza). The implication here combined with the text in Song of Myself suggestRead MoreLeaves Of Grass By Walt Whitman915 Words   |  4 Pagescollection of poems written by an American poet named Walt Whitman. The first edition was published in 1855 but, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting Leaves of Grass, until his death in 1892 at the age of 72. Even though during the time his work was considered immoral later people began to realize the beauty behind his poems and started to appreciate the man who wrote them.Whitman s Leaves of Grass is iconic in American poetry because of the beauty behind its poems as wellRead MoreIndividuality And Free Verse in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1524 Words   |  7 Pagesthese values in his life and work. First published in 1855 in Leaves of Grass, Song of Myself is a vision of a symbolic I enraptured by the senses, vicariously embracing all people and places from the Atlantic to the Pacif ic oceans. Sections 1 and 2, like the entirety of the piece, seek to reconcile the individual and the natural world in an attempt to uncover the individuals humanity. Born near Huntington, New York, Whitman was the second of a family of nine children. His father was a carpenterRead More References to Homosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself1210 Words   |  5 PagesHomosexuality in Walt Whitmans Song of Myself WHITMAN WAS MORE MAN THAN YOULL EVER BE, said a student of Louisiana State University. When asked questions of your sexual preference or thoughts on the issue of sex, I would venture to say it makes most people uncomfortable. This is an age-old topic that people know about, yet do not want to talk about. He was particularly reticent about his issues regarding sex and his particular sexual preference. In fact, of Whitmans struggles the mostRead MoreWalter Whitman1003 Words   |  5 PagesWalt and his family settled in Brooklyn, up to then his family had lived in a dozen different places (Conarroe 4). Walt worked in many different positions; to some he was even viewed as a drifter. Walt was many different things; he worked as a carpenter and home builder, like his father, and apprentice printer, a school teacher, editor of several newspapers, including Brooklyn’s Daily Eagle, journalist, and writer. However, despite whatever job Walt Whitman was working as, he always wro te poems. FrequentlyRead MoreWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln3895 Words   |  16 PagesWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln Table of contents 1. Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 2. Whitman’s position in American literature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 3. Whitman’s poetry before the civil war†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...............3 4. Lincoln’s death – a turning point for Whitman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.6 5. Walt Whitman’s four poems on the American nation’s grief†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 5.1 Hush d Be the Camps To-day†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 5.2. When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 Read MoreSex Sexuality in the Poetry of Walt Whitman3834 Words   |  16 Pagesdeeper insight into Walt Whitmans sexuality that is still a question on agenda. There are readers and critics who state that it is a shame to humble his poetry to this level, but I think that he was homosexual in his era the topic cannot be left untouched, because therefore this factor was very influential on his everyday life, thinking and hence on his poetry, too. His only volume, Leaves of Grass Ââ€" that was published several times Ââ€" was first published at in 1855 Whitmans expense. As it can be