Christopher Spates
Col. Ball
ERH 421WX
March 5th, 2015
Absorbed in Nature
In the course of reading Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself outside I was able to take his references to nature and determine many connections to what was happening around me. Walt Whitman uses nature in his poem to describe many sights and sounds to relate to his poetry. As I read the poem I cleared my head and read aloud in order to do just as he asked “read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life”. Sitting outside allowed me to get a clear understanding of the serenity of the poem both for its literal and external meanings.
I started reading the poem outside on a bench on post here at VMI. The first interaction I had is when I read “Not words, not music or rhyme I want, not custom or lecture, not even the best, only the lull I like, the hum of your valved voice”. To me this is what Whitman truly wanted, was for the reader to read the poem in a since that it related to you. Though the poem has its true meanings, I believe that he wanted each and every person to relate its words to their own lives. This to me relates to nature and everyday life because we all have our own meanings for life and reading this poem allows you to use your imagination. For example, Whitman says grass itself a child, the produces babe of the vegetation. Sitting outside hearing the sounds of the wind, birds, and trees you begin to realize how everything is its own entity with a specific purpose in order for us all to survive.
As I was reading the poem I came across the line “…and the numberless unknown heroes equal to the greatest heroes known” which had a great meaning to me because as I looked around I immediately thought of the many statues that surround the Institute. People such as Marshall, Washington, Jackson, and Lady Virginia all are seen as iconic heroes. However, they wouldn’t be known at all if it weren’t for the unknown people that surrounded them. Whitman obviously favored the working class and was not necessarily all about fame. He recognized that everyone could be equal and that everyone exists as themselves. He says we all ascend dazzling and tremendous as the sun which shows how strongly he felt that everyone has the potential to be great.
Lastly, as I reached the end of the poem I came across the lines “I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the word”. To me this stood out because I pictured an animal of large stature making a loud noise that echoed across VMI and further out into the mountains. These last few lines give great elemental power describing Whitman as he says he gives good health to people who walk over him. Whitman believes that everyone shall come across him and that he will be there waiting so that he can have a lasting effect on them as well. These lines represent how he felt you should live life, never ever give up, and always believe that you have hope.
Walt Whitman’s poetry can be hard to interpret at times; however, it carries great meaning. He truly believed that all atoms where intertwined to create the bigger picture. Nature is a perfect example of that which is why he was able to relate it to the message he was trying to convey. Overall, reading Song of Myself outdoors allowed me to realize that you should enjoy nature in its element and use it to energize you toward a positive outlook on life in general.
Works Cited
Whitman, Walt, and Michael Moon. “Song of Myself.” Leaves of Grass and Other Writings: Authoritative Texts, Other Poetry and Prose, Criticism. Expanded and Rev. Ed. Based on the Norton Critical Ed. of Leaves of Grass ed. New York: Norton, 2002. Print.
Reflective Tag
I believe this poem has a great meaning to not only the time in which it was written but also to the present time. Walt Whitman believed that time was joined whether it be the past present or the future. The poem Leaves of Grass is a great example of that. It displays many stories that hold a strong moral meaning that are reoccurring throughout history. Also, the poem explains Whitman’s idea that everyone carries their own personality found within their soul. This is a part of the American culture that every person carries their own identity and plays a role in the fluidity of life. Personally, I feel as if Whitman’s idea of spiritual democracy is shown by his use of nature to describe the ideal society.