“Leaves of Grass” is an account of Whitman’s individual
voice becoming immersed into the abstract idea of “myself.” This idea is
reinforced by the second and third lines of the poem, “And what I assume you
shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (Whitman
2 – 3). By immersing himself into nature Whitman emphasizes the notion of
transcendentalism and brings America
to the forefront of world literature.
Throughout his poem Whitman examines several observations of
interactions between individuals. In one particular section of the poem a woman
watches twenty-eight men bathe in the ocean. Whitman assumes the role of the
invisible twenty-ninth man and immerses himself into the world in order to gain
perspective, but separates himself by being invisible to prevent interference. In
this sense Whitman’s narration parallels Emerson’s “transparent eyeball” in
which he becomes one with nature and highlights the notion of the individual going
back to nature.
Another section of the poem not only demonstrates Whitman’s
observation of human interaction, but displays his perspective on the issue of
slavery. Whitman is approached by a runaway slave in which he “[leads] him in
and [reassures] him” that he will be taken care of (Whitman 2153). Because
Whitman immerses himself in the idea of “myself”, I believe he draws influence
for this particular scene in his perspective toward the enslavement of
Africans.
Agreed! I interpreted the poem in a similar way. I like the idea of the self, not just being Walt Whitman himself but the universal self. Everyone in this new nation sharing one "self", maybe he means that we're all one self in that we all have a conscious mind, and that we're all made of the same atoms. I feel like we, as a society, were more connected before industrialization. In Whitman's time people didn't slave in factories or cubicles to make money to buy things they don't need. In Whitman's time, or at least how I imagine it, individuals were not as alienated. I also enjoyed the way Whitman included the runaway slave in his idea of the self. Whitman's universal consciousness transcends race. This is especially interesting because this was a time when "Americans" were only white man. There are so many ideas gong on! I'm looking forward to discussing these ideas more in class.
ReplyDeleteI also interpreted Whitman's message about transcendentalism similarly. On the 7 and 8th lines of the poem he very cleverly compares the distillation of the cities as perfumes against the natural air of the atmosphere as intoxicating, but he resists being captivated by it. I also think he also tries to relate to every social/working class in the poem and send home the message that in the end we are all equals.
ReplyDeleteI also really liked this line"“Lack one lacks both, and the unseen is proved by the seen, Till that becomes unseen and receives proof in its turn (Witman 45-46).” This obviously wasn't the right way to interpret it, but it made me think about how the "seen" can misrepresent the "unseen" in any way they desire, which I found ironic considering the poem that it is in.