Whitman’s “A Woman Waits for Me” seems to propagate two contrasting ideas: that a woman is equal to a man and a whole person in and of herself, and that she is not complete without the acknowledgement and touch of the speaker (whom we can assume is a man). Though the speaker of the poem […]
Looking at and Teaching ‘Song of Myself’ in 2019
It is undeniable that Whitman is one of, if not the most, influential poets in American literary history, but even though it is important for future generations to continue re-reading his work, we have to be honest with ourselves about some of his more problematic poetic behaviors. ‘Song of Myself’ is one of his most […]
The Conceited Nature of Whitman’s Writing
There are many ways to interpret the works of Walt Whitman. Some people see him as a visionary and one of the quintessential American poets. Others see him merely as a conceited man who overly inflates his self worth. I believe the latter more, however it is undeniable to see Whitman’s impact on American poetry […]
Whitman Among American Myth
Whitman opens the preface of Leaves of Grass with the line “America does not repel the past or what it has produced under its forms or amid other politics or the idea of casts or old religions.” (5) cites remembrance as a key factor in the poetic nature of the newly formed United States and […]
The Role of the Reader in “Song of Myself”
In his article, “Beyond the Myth of Narcissus: The Role of the Reader in Walt Whitman’s ‘Song of Myself,’” Santiago Juan Navarro discusses the position of the reader as described in “Song of Myself.” Navarro begins by introducing the claim that “the reader has been systematically neglected in the literary analysis,” especially when discussing Whitman’s […]
Diversity in Whitman: Section Thirty-Three of ‘Song of Myself’
Maire Mullins, a professor at Pepperdine University, details in her article, “Diversity in Whitman: Section Thirty-Three of ‘Song of Myself,” the various poetic methods and techniques that Walt Whitman employed in his “Song of Myself”, more specifically section Thirty-Three of the work, to emphasize his passion for diversity in America and unity in nationhood. Mullins […]