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Hey there,
I've been reading Whitman's Song of Myself, but find it hard to discern the symbolism behind his work. I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers. I understand Whitman is a romantic poet, but don't really see how that returns in Song of Myself. Anyone willing to help out?
:)
I haven't read it. But here is a source: http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps...itman/song.htm I started listening to this version of it using the other text as a guide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV75FXL4Mn8
I don't think I could give you any pointers, but I can encourage you to express what you think about the poem.
I think these lines are pretty good:
Lack one lacks both, and the unseen is proved by the seen,
Till that becomes unseen and receives proof in its turn.
[QUOTE=DeeKaah;1332080]Hey there,
I've been reading Whitman's Song of Myself, but find it hard to discern the symbolism behind his work. I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers. I understand Whitman is a romantic poet, but don't really see how that returns in Song of Myself. Anyone willing to help out?
:)[/QUOTE
Along with being a romantic, Whitman is a transcendentalist. He wrote during the transition of transcendentalism and realism, however, a majority of his works fall into a transcendental category. We know that the ideals of Whitman were the pursuit of discovering the value of self worth and reliance, and that his work often causes the reader to reflect upon oneself. By merely examining the title Song Of Myself, his self reflection is apparent.
Focus on analyzing each line and Whitman's actual intention with his words.
I've wondered what "transcendentalism" is. From this Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transcendentalism, the key line for me is, "Transcendentalism emphasizes subjective intuition over objective empiricism."
It is also where I get the idea of "panentheism" rather than "pantheism". Everything is in God rather than everything is God.
I assume that Whitman along with Thoreau and Emerson were transcendentalists. Sometimes it is helpful to understand what they do not agree with.