Christopher Spates
Col. Ball
ERH 421WX
March 12th, 2015
Walt Whitman’s Effect on American Culture
Throughout the poem Song of Myself, Walt Whitman aimed to deliver to his audience a clear picture of what democracy meant to him. It is obvious that throughout the poem he emphasizes the importance of friendship and how it plays an essential role in the success of society. He addresses the reader throughout the poem as a close friend carrying a tone that is non-judgmental. Whitman believed that the ideal American culture was one in which all people are equal, and that all people held importance regardless of their job.
In the poem Whitman carries an accepting tone in order reach toward a much more ideal democratic future than in the 1850’s. His viewpoint of wanting American’s to be unified as one is unmoved through out the poem. Whitman gives this vision by saying “I am not an earth nor an adjunct of an earth, / I am the mate and companion of people, all just as immortal and fathomless as myself.” (136) He wants his audience to understand that they can all carry equal importance in making the American culture one that is both blissful and peaceful.
The largest impact Whitman had on the American culture is that he truly resembled the trait of being humble and carrying a great spirit.(Shoomp, 2008) In the poem he wants people to realize that the whole universe is bound together with love. Whitman’s goal was to loosen the tensions between freedom and equality, and to face the reality of building a nation. (Shoomp, 2008) This would allow people of the nineteenth century to explore their spirit using their body as their vessel. Whitman was not one who favored slavery for example in section 6 line 108 he says “Growing among black folks as among white, / Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the same, / I receive them the same.” This is a great example of how Whitman wanted to influence the future of America.
Many people feel that Whitman’s words in Song of Myself contradicted his philosophy, however some say that is exactly what made him unique.(Blackwell) His stories can be viewed as him being superstitious and crude throughout Song of Myself which some felt was not a good example of a united democracy that was Whitman’s goal. Personally, I believe Whitman used his unique writing form to capture the attention of American’s by using nature, and even many sexual associations in his poetry.
Overall, Whitman truly had an impact on America in the nineteenth century. Many people began to read and understand his poetry which I believe gave way to a rise in the spirituality in America. Also, democracy began to set in and grow stronger in the nineteenth century due to individualism which Whitman spoke greatly about. Essentially, Whitman’s effect on the nineteenth century was his ability to portray to his audience diversity and the role it played in bringing not only America together but also the entire Universe.
Works Cited
Leaves of Grass and Other Writings: Walt Whitman
Shmoop Editorial Team. “Song of Myself.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008.Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
“The Walt Whitman Archive.” Re-Scripting Walt Whitman: An Introduction to His Life and Work. Blackwell Publishing. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
Reflective Tag
Personally, while researching Walt Whitman’s effect on American Culture I began to read many of his critics. By doing this I was able to gain a better perspective of how people back in this time felt about his writing and its effectiveness. I noticed that in particular many people believed that he had a very unrealistic mindset for this time period due to slavery in particular. Also, I realized that Whitman was very contradictory with his many of his stories by the way he carried them out. He was very straight forward and in a way inappropriate. This is what made him so unique in my eye which is why I believe he did have a positive effect on the American culture in the nineteenth century. He was able to give readers a different perspective, and allowed them to begin to think openly toward being united and equal regardless of their class, job, or even their background.