Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass reflects a time when violence was rapidly growing in the United States and countless people were dying due to the Civil War. Although times were filled with devastation from the war, Whitman embodied appreciation to life in his poetry and even showed that dying is only apart of the cycle of life.
At some point in the poem it seems as though Whitman scolds those that choose to live life always fearing death. In his writing he states “I have heard what the talkers are talking...the talk of the beginning and then end. But I do not talk about the beginning or the end” (Song of Myself, 29-31). To him the talk of death was a complete waste of time and those talking about it should not dwell on the past or the future. Others should only worry about the present, appreciate what is right in front of their eyes, or in other words the simpler things. When time for death does eventually come he felt one should not fear it because “not an inch or a particle of an is inch is vile, and none shall be less familiar than the rest” (Song of Myself, 49-50). In other words, everyone constantly worried that death will come when they least expect it should not worry because everyone would be saved by God.
I agree that we should live life without regrets, only worry about the present, and appreciate the simpler things. Does everyone agree that his thoughts on life and death were appropriate for the time or rather inappropriate? Or an even better question, to what extent should one not worry about the past or the future?
I think for Whitman, death was the point of where end and beginning meet, and are part of the same process. His views on life and death are in part a result of his contemporary concerns, such as the Civil War and alienation in America between mankind. To justify all of the death and mourning that come from war, the lives that are lost must have a purpose to fulfill. This outlook cooperates symbiotically with Whitman's writing and transcendental philosophy as the disappointments of death allow room for rebirth and growth. In that sense, I think Whitman reflections on the loss of death are indeed an appropriate response to his time.
ReplyDeletePersonally, in response to your second question, I think that one must balance foresight (future) and experience (past) to maintain mindfulness (present). In relation to Whitman's ideas of ends and beginnings, "You shall no longer take things at second or third hand.... nor look though the eyes of the dead.... nor feed on the spectres in books, You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me, You shall listen to all sides and filter them for yourself" (Song of Myself 27-29). It is up to the individual to make the distinction.
The events that were taking place during the time Whitman was writing Leaves of Grass I believe heavily influence the interpretation of the poem. I agree that due to the Civil War Whitman tries to explain to the reader to really enjoy the little things in life and appreciate life but not to fear the moment our time for death comes because it part of our cycle of living.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the first question, I agree that Whitman's thoughts were appropriate for the time because his ideas of death, showing how no one should fear it, correlates to the men sacrificing their lives in the Civil War. Whitman tells the reader to only be concerned with the present because death will come to every man on their own term and one cannot be thinking of the past or present.
I believe to worry about the past or the future is healthy to some extent. It allows one to feel motivated to accomplish a goal when thinking about the future. However, when one starts to dwell on something inevitable such as death, it is a waste because death comes to all. Dealing with the past is only appropiate during situations where the past can be of use, only remind yourself of negative things from the past for situations that could benefit the future.