Walt Whitman
 Democracy
 Self /individual
 Nature
 Transcendentalisn
‘Whiteman is the father of all that is modern in poetry’ – Pablo Neruda
Walt Whiteman is one of the most gifted American writers with a unique, original style and a
profound mystical worldview in whom American Literature first found its own voice.
Whitman follows in the tradition of the Romantic nature poets like Wordsworth and Keats. In other
words Nature is just not a thing of beauty but also a spiritual force for him; Nature nurtures and
educates the human soul. Whitman is widely known at the poet of democracy and his masterpiece
‘Leaves of Grass’ (1855) is considered the ‘Bible of Democracy’. His conception of democracy is multifacet, varied and universal.
Democracy for Whitman means the assertion of one’s individuality as well as equality with others. In
his view all men are equal and all professions are equally honourable. Whitman had a deep faith in
democracy because this political form of government respects the individual. He thought that the
genius of the United States is best expressed in the common people, not in its executive branch or
legislature, or in its churches or law courts. He believed that it is the common folk who have a
deathless attachment to freedom
In the poem “Songs of Myself” Whitman transcend Lincoln’s ‘political democracy’ expressing an
absolute faith in equality, freedom, humanity and the universe in general. Whitman's belief in
equality is so strong, that he dedicates the first lines of "Song of Myself" to it:
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
Here, "I" and "you" are used symbolically, not unlike the "myself" from the title that repeats itself in
the first line. Whitman uses "I" to refer not only to himself, but to a larger "I" that includes the reader
and humanity in general. Invoking the universal "I" brings a sense of equality to the poem without
directly addressing that theme. In its own mysterious way, though, the poem does deal directly with
equality and democracy, primarily through Whitman's imagery and language.
The grass is the great symbol of democracy in nature and it is by lying on it and observing it that the
poet begins to reflect. The poet says in section- 1:
“I loafe and invite my soul
I lean and loafe at my case observing a spear of summer grass.”
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The grass symbolizes separateness in unity, a sort of individual identity in unity, which is the basic
essential of democracy. The grass becomes a graphic representation of Whitman’s central concept of
democracy in the following lines:
“Or, I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,
And it means, sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow zones
Growing among black flocks as among white”
The grass is carefree and grows in all places. It has no option to grow only in specific places. It grows
among the black as well as the white folks in broad as well as narrow zones. This suggests the
democratic spirit which the poet always emphasizes.
I Hear America Singing” encompasses many of the poetic themes and attitudes for which Whitman
has become most well-known, particularly his democratic vision, which heralds the importance of
“the common man and woman” in American culture and society
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam
The first line introduces the poem’s controlling metaphor: “I hear America singing.” The speaker
envisions America as the culmination of the voices of the American people who are unique
individuals
After all, “I Hear America Singing” is explicitly concerned with this “ideal democracy,” one made up of
individual personalities and voices. Each character sings his personalized song, involved in his carol;
blending into the American society. As a result, the people are enrolled in democratic process of
government, based on the ideology of, ‘of the people, by the people, for the people’, each individual
has a voice.
“For you O Democracy”, the poem is about how Whitman thinks Democracy will look when it is
brought to the Americans. His use of words that describe a new land shows how much he thinks
America will change with the coming of democracy. He believes that Democracy will bring freedom to
the people. The theme of the poem is uplifting and it is of one that wants to build a solid new world
Whitman is democratic not only in his ideas but also in his poetic technique. In his poetic style
democratic impulse is reflected. It is significant that he rejects the conventional forms of poetry
which he felt to be aristocratic past. His freedom with poetic form reflects his advocacy of freedom
for human soul. The free flow of words, the lines of uneven length, all express the sense of
development inherent democracy.
Thus we can say that Walt Whitman is a great poet of democracy. Indeed, he may be the greatest. As
Thoreau said, Whitman “is apparently the greatest democrat the world has ever seen.
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Whitman felt no contrast between nature and humanity; he felt merely that certain emotions which
give life its unity of tone and are implied in all experience, may come home to the soul more simply
and therefore more convincingly under the stars or within sound of the “mystic surf-beat of the sea.”
His perception of nature was complete only if the external nature was assessed against essential
nature of man. Both are interdependent and complementing each other
Nature for him has six predominant characteristics: process, purpose, sexuality, unity, divinity, and
beneficence. He never sets forth this conception of nature explicitly or systematically, any more than
Emerson, Thoreau, and other transcendentalists, most of whom would generally agree with all of
these characterizations of nature except sexuality.
As a Transcendentalist writer, Walt Whitman believed in the idea that God, nature, and humans are
all connected. "Song of Myself," as a long poem comprised of fifty-two shorter pieces, was no
exception to this belief
A child said What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands;
How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any more than he
Whitman uses the imagery of grass on two levels. The first is a physical and natural meaning. The
child is really asking Whitman what is the meaning of the natural world, something for which
Whitman does not have an answer. He later describes this nature as something that goes "onward
and outward" and never ends.
Whitman cleverly points out to the reader directly that plants are symbols of the cycle of life in his
work. He goes yet further with his grass metaphor, pointing out that grass seems to be like "the
beautiful uncut hair of graves." In an endless cycle of life and death, grass and other plants
decompose to form fertilizer for new plants to grow. And finally, Whitman's speaker gives himself
over to "the dirt" so that he might "grow from the grass" he loves. In this way, he makes himself
immortal by surrendering to the cycle, imploring his reader: "If you want me again look for me under
your bootsoles." Even after he is gone, Whitman will live on in his leaves of grass
Whitman uses the imagery of grass throughout his book and also uses it in his title. A leaf of grass is
meant to symbolize several things: the pages of the book that he writes, the form of his poetry, and a
physical piece of grass that grows from the ground
Whitman sees natural facts as inherently symbolic of spiritual facts. His poetic use of natural objects
differs from that of his contemporaries such as William Wordsworth, Bryant, or Emerson chiefly by
his inclusiveness.
He rejects the prettified nature he finds in conventional poetry; Natural objects listed in his
catalogues range from the "quintillions of spheres" that fill the universe to "brown ants," "mossy
scabs," "poke-weed," and "beetles rolling balls of dung" ("Song of Myself," sections 33, 5, 24).
Grass is a frequent symbol, most conspicuously in section 6 of "Song of Myself," as are leaves, which
are often not merely parts of a plant but also parts of a book, as in "I Saw in Louisiana a Live-Oak
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Growing." The imagery of growing plants, with the use of words like "blossom" or "bloom," is used in
such poems as "Song of Myself,"
One can see traces of Wordsworth's love of nature in Whitman's depiction of nature. It is the earth
consisting of rivers, mountains, wind that has nurtured him. Even within his house he is able to feel
impact of all kinds of perfumes. What, however, he loves most is the feel of the world outside. It is
the refreshing air, the rustle of grew !eaves, the silence of dry leaves, the sight of the sea-shore, and
the sea-rocks that stir him deeply. They fill him with deep delight.
Whitman always refers to the reader and seeks involvement and communion with a likeminded soul.
In Songs of Myself the poet asks the reader,
"Have you reckoned a thousand acres much?
Have you reckoned the earth much?"
In other words unless the reader is able to respond to the sheer diversity and glory of the earth, he
would not be able to grasp the full meaning of the text of Song of Myself:
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The idea of self in Whitman’s poem is very much interesting, an individual is the spiritual center of
the universe and through the self-knowledge an individual can get the clue to explore nature, history
and ultimately, the cosmos itself, therefore, the idea of correspondence between the individual soul
and “Oversoul” is something that is dealt in Whitman’s poetry. Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass
celebrates the beauty of one’s self and forms a unified whole, each leaf of grass has its own distinct
beauty and individual identity, intensified with a sense of togetherness
I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
These opening lines from "Song of Myself" introduces ideas of individuality and collectivity that
Whitman explores throughout his work. The self, he says, is a form to be celebrated. The self should
not be subdued or censored in deference to anything.
Whitman’s interest in the self-ties into his praise of the individual. Whitman links the self to the
conception of poetry throughout his work, envisioning the self as the birthplace of poetry. Most of his
poems are spoken from the first person, using the pronoun I.
In Song of Meself, Repeatedly the speaker of this poem exclaims that he contains everything
and everyone, which is a way for Whitman to reimagine the boundary between the self and the
world. By imaging a person capable of carrying the entire world within him, Whitman can create an
elaborate analogy about the ideal democracy, which would, like the self, be capable of containing the
whole world.
Whitman surveys nature and believes its constant cycling of material things to be a system of selfgeneration and renewal: a deceased body is digested into the soil, absorbed by the earth, and utilized
to facilitate the growth of new materials. The soul maintains itself in a separate but still accessible
space throughout this process – it is not, like the body, consumed and reproduced.
In Section 52, the conclusion to the 1891 version of “Song of Myself,” Whitman resigns himself to the
processes of nature that take composed matter, break it into its elements, and scatter the
disarranged pieces so that new arrangements may be formed. Though he never names or categorizes
this process, he tries to make it personal and close-at-hand: “I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow
from the grass I love, / If you want me again look for me under your boot-soles.”
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Transcendentalism
Transcendentalism is a name that was applied to a social and literary philosophy that was holistic and
distinctly American in nature. The transcendentalists, represented by Walt Whitman, Henry David
Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, among others, devised a theory and practice of living that sought
to bring individuals and society back to the most simple, natural, and straightforward beliefs that
could guide human behavior and foster a health society.
Transcendentalism was a movement that focused on the examination of humanity as a whole.
Transcendentalists believed that the human senses could not communicate profound truths; they
were limited to knowledge of only the physical aspects of life. They also believed that it was through
the observation and appreciation of nature that the human soul was enlightened. The last main
Transcendental belief was that humans shared one common over-soul with God.
The transcendental movement and the natural world were intertwined as among the basic beliefs of
the transcendentalism movement was the belief in the intrinsic value and importance of nature. In
the view of transcendentalists such as Whitman, Thoreau and Emerson, nature and the natural world
was the template for the human world and this theme in transcendentalist poetry, especially in the
case of Whitman, forms the backbone of meaning in his poetry.
"Song of Myself"
One of Whitman's most famous poems, “Song of Myself," Whitman meditates at length on most of
the beliefs and practices that were central to transcendental thought.
"Myself" is in the title of the poem, which hints to us the fact that individualism, and the individual
spirit, is a big theme in the work. The poem is also about how we're all connected to one another,
and to nature. In other words, it's also a poem about connection and correspondence. We should be
true to ourselves, but we should also always be aware of the bonds that bind us—to each other, to
nature, to God. The poem is a celebration of individualism.
He opens the poem with the passionate declarative statement,
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself"
This focus on the self is characteristic of transcendentalists, not in an ego-bound sort of way, but in an
effort to understand the self and its relation to nature and society. It is important to point out that
the self is by no means isolated; Whitman immediately indicates that his speaker shares atoms with
the reader, and that for this reason, they have a common stake in society.
Whitman is deeply interested in nature in this poem, as is the case in much of his poetry. As this
poem analysis of “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman suggests, the analysis and contemplation of
nature and the natural world provides the opportunity to reflect upon the workings of the world. He
allows himself to “loafe" while contemplating a single blade of grass in the summer, which spurs him
on to meditate about his own origins and the cycle of life
“A Noiseless, Patient Spider” is a poem by Walt Whitman where he relates his soul to that of a spider
found in nature. In the poem, the speaker watches and ponders on a spider that he sees. First person
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is frequently used in lyric poetry, but the speaker directly communing with his own soul is an aspect
unique to Whitman’s poetry. The reader sees this conversation between man and soul in the second
stanza where the speaker says “And you O my soul where you stand,/ surrounded, detached, in
measureless oceans of space”
In the poem, Whitman is reflecting on the insignificance that he felt about his life and the desire for
one’s life to have meaning. He uses the small insignificant spider making a web out into the unknown
as almost a metaphor for this desire. This connects to the idea of the common man and the common
man’s desire to have a purpose throughout life. It is also a poem about loneliness, and the
infatuation of becoming something of higher order: “This is a loneliness that grows out of an inherent
tendency of the body and soul to attempt to unite with an elusive divine entity in order to gain
immortality” (Scherle 2705). The poem’s theme of trying to become immortal and the desire to be
one with divine being’s shows one of the main themes of transcendentalism. The idea that all
humans share one Over-soul with God echoes in this poem (Scherle).
Whitman uses the spider in its habitat to relate his situation to an aspect in nature. The poem has
also been described as showing that Whitman's poetry is continuous like that of a spider web that
spans everywhere and shows everything (“Criticism: ‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’”). The themes of
nature and the common man are prevalent in this work: the relation of humans and the spider, and
the examination of one’s own conscience. Whitman uses alliteration in this poem to stress the
relationship between sense and sound. He also used repetition, repeating things like “O my soul” to
emphasize the sorrow that the speaker felt over the insignificance of his soul.
This repetition stresses the Transcendental belief of having an over-soul. Whitman was stressing to
the speaker’s desire to have a connection to a higher power to the reader. Whitman’s poem emulates
the Transcendental ideas of nature and the over-soul in “A Noiseless Patient Spider.”
Whitman reflects Transcendentalism through his comparison of the common man to nature and the
observation of the need humans have for companionship. The speaker observes the tree and
wonders how it can appear joyful even if it is completely isolated. “A Noiseless Patient Spider” shows
Transcendentalism through the relation of man and nature and idea that humans share an Over-Soul
with God. The speaker ponders on a small spider spinning its web, noting the loneliness of it.
All of these factors contribute to the overall Transcendental theme in Whitman’s poems.
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Quotes
Whitman is the father of all that is modern in poetry. – Pablo Neruda
That dream of democracy, what Americans call “the American dream,” was the great dream of
Whitman, who believed fervently in the possibility of that experiment. He was a great partisan of
democracy and he wanted the hero of his poem to be everyone.
. Sri Aurobindo compared him to the ancient Indian seers in his essay “Future Poetry”.
Tagore praised him saying, “No American had caught the Oriental spirit of mysticism so well as
[Whitman]”
(Holloway 126) him and even translated one of his poems.
Swami Vivekananda also hailed him as a ‘spiritual genius.’
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