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.