English 48B
3/12/2009
Walt Whitman
"You sea! I resign myself to you also-I guess what you mean."
Walt Whitman's, "Sons of Myself" is, somewhat literal in the title, a poem that Whitman wrote to describe hims
elf. It discusses his relationship with himself, and others, and shows his self awareness, and at times, the love for himself. As a homosexual writer, Whitman conveys that he will t be anybody but himself. The poem uses nature and metaphors to show his desire to maintain his individuality, while still being part of the rest of the world. He uses creed to evoke spirituality, and demonstrate how he embodies many different moods and traits, such as when he says, "I am not the poet of goodness only, I don not decline to be the poet of wickedness also". "Songs of Myself" is written about Whitman himself, but it also serves the purpose of showing readers that it is natural to be both good and evil, and that individuality can be freeing. He also attempts to awaken spirituality, and get the reader to pay attention to their mind, body and soul. While he tries to show he is an individual, or "special", he also tries to convey the idea that humans are alike as well, such as when he says, "I am the poet of woman the same as the man". He wants to show that aspects such as gender or race don't make us different, but how a person carries himself, and how a person chooses to live their life.
Similarly to "Brooklyn Crossing Ferry", this poem was a hard read for me, and it took several reads to grasp what Whitman was trying to convey. This quote stuck out to me, because I noticed a reoccurring use of the sea in many of his works (for example, "Brooklyn Crossing Ferry"). The ocean is a versatile metaphor, bu
t I feel that Whitman uses it to represent the universe, for it is vast and dark and empty, which is consistent about how he views the world. Despite how he feels the universe or world he lives in can be accepting, he also feels connected to it. In the same section, he says, "I am integral with you", which shows that he feels as if he is part of the sea, or that he feels part of the society he lives in. I also noticed that the first line "You sea!" is interesting, in that he seems to be addressing the reader, almost in a "you see" sense, and forcing the reader to take a closer look into the world that we are part of. The second part of the quote shows almost a more vulnerable side to Whitman, when he resigns himself to the sea. The poem is constantly Whitman embodying his individuality, and this passage shows that he is human, and that he at times gives in to the way of the universe or society. This is supported by when he says "I guess what you mean" for unlike the rest of the poem, he is not sure, but is merely guessing, which shows that he at times doubts his ability to "survive" as an individual.
elf. It discusses his relationship with himself, and others, and shows his self awareness, and at times, the love for himself. As a homosexual writer, Whitman conveys that he will t be anybody but himself. The poem uses nature and metaphors to show his desire to maintain his individuality, while still being part of the rest of the world. He uses creed to evoke spirituality, and demonstrate how he embodies many different moods and traits, such as when he says, "I am not the poet of goodness only, I don not decline to be the poet of wickedness also". "Songs of Myself" is written about Whitman himself, but it also serves the purpose of showing readers that it is natural to be both good and evil, and that individuality can be freeing. He also attempts to awaken spirituality, and get the reader to pay attention to their mind, body and soul. While he tries to show he is an individual, or "special", he also tries to convey the idea that humans are alike as well, such as when he says, "I am the poet of woman the same as the man". He wants to show that aspects such as gender or race don't make us different, but how a person carries himself, and how a person chooses to live their life.Similarly to "Brooklyn Crossing Ferry", this poem was a hard read for me, and it took several reads to grasp what Whitman was trying to convey. This quote stuck out to me, because I noticed a reoccurring use of the sea in many of his works (for example, "Brooklyn Crossing Ferry"). The ocean is a versatile metaphor, bu
t I feel that Whitman uses it to represent the universe, for it is vast and dark and empty, which is consistent about how he views the world. Despite how he feels the universe or world he lives in can be accepting, he also feels connected to it. In the same section, he says, "I am integral with you", which shows that he feels as if he is part of the sea, or that he feels part of the society he lives in. I also noticed that the first line "You sea!" is interesting, in that he seems to be addressing the reader, almost in a "you see" sense, and forcing the reader to take a closer look into the world that we are part of. The second part of the quote shows almost a more vulnerable side to Whitman, when he resigns himself to the sea. The poem is constantly Whitman embodying his individuality, and this passage shows that he is human, and that he at times gives in to the way of the universe or society. This is supported by when he says "I guess what you mean" for unlike the rest of the poem, he is not sure, but is merely guessing, which shows that he at times doubts his ability to "survive" as an individual.
20/20 Knowing Walt, I bet he thinks he is "guessing" correctly!
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