“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
And what I assume you shall assume,
For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” (188)
From the very first stanza, Whitman makes it clear that the narrator of “Song of Myself” is not an individual, but a common voice for the people; he is “of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise” (203). Throughout the poem, the idea of a common soul uniting all people is prevalent and Whitman encourages his readers to embrace this unity with one another. However, Whitman also touches on the Transcendental belief that each individual has their own personal connection to the universe. “Song of Myself” implores the reader to seek out this relationship with the universe through their own sensory perceptions. The narrator may inhabit the role of the Poet, a voice for the people, but the reader is encouraged to rely on their own senses to learn about the world.
“You are also asking me questions and I hear you,
I answer that I cannot answer, you must find out for yourself.” (242)
The narrator sets an example for his audience by insisting that “seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles” and by relying on his own senses to gain knowledge of the universe (211). Section 26 begins “Now I will do nothing but listen” and the entire section is devoted to what the narrator can hear around him and how those “sounds contribute” to his song (214). We, his audience, should follow his lead and occasionally “do nothing but listen” so that we can interpret the world around us on our own terms.
I’ve included a link to a visual adaptation of Section 26.
http://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/421074/a-visual-rendition-of-walt-whitmans-song-of-myself/
I really like how this blog post calls attention to how Whitman, although clearly preaches individualism, also directly addresses the reader to join him in this process of understanding the world. In the very beginning of the poem, he asks the reader, “Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?” To which he then proceeds to entice readers into his poem by telling them why they should take this journey with him but to remember to always “not look through my [Whitman’s] eyes” but rather to “listen to all sides and filter them for yourself.” Like you said in your blog post, Whitman is directing his audience throughout this poem so that readers can each create their own ‘song of myself.’
Great reflection on the degree to which Whitman emphasizes and invokes the reader–her power in constructing the meaning of the poem, and the meaning of the world around them. Whitman, in this sense, is an extraordinarily enabling poet. He’s not going to do the difficult work of us.
I love the video you linked to, but can you embed it in the post so the video appears?