Literature Network » Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman.(Letter to the Editor)

Content courtesy of

From: Skeptical Inquirer
Date: 20030701
Author:

Gary Sloan's article about Walt Whitman (March/April 2003) misses a pivotal element in Whitman's poetry and cosmology. Whitman certainly believed that life goes on beyond our individual endings, but he was a believer in recycling rather than reincarnation. His statement that "No doubt I have died myself ten thousand times before" is elucidated by an abundance of evidence of his belief in recycling. As "Song of Myself" ends, he writes, "I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love. If you want me again look for me under your bootsoles." In "This Compost," he tells of ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.

Other Articles on Walt Whitman

About Our Articles: We've partnered with Highbeam Research to provide these article excerpts for your research needs. However, due to copyright laws, we cannot publish the whole article. To view these articles in full length you'll need to use the link above to access the free trial at Highbeam.