A lover of humanity, Walt Whitman feels that he is a part of everyone else as well as a part of Nature. So, when he writes "I celebrate myself," Whitman implies that he celebrates all mankind. Much like his contemporary Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote him and praised this work, Whitman felt himself a part of something similar to Emerson's concept of the Oversoul.
Like Emerson, Whitman believes that the individual human heart can embrace the entire universe. His "Song of Myself," therefore, is both an offering of himself and a celebration of this unity of self with nature and culture. "I am the poet of the woman the same as the man," he writes. In Section 16, also, Whitman writes of his connection to the world: "Of every hue and caste am I, of every rank and religion."
Further, Whitman's placing of himself in and out of the points of view of others reflects his commitment to democracy and equality. Thus, the reader of "Song of Myself" is able to view the world through the eyes of the poet, and, therefore, experience a sense of unity in humanity. In the final section (52), Whitman writes,
Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged,
Missing me one place search another,
I stop somewhere waiting for you.
In Leaves of Grass the sensibilities in the individual as described throughout the poem by Whitman are actually linked to a larger social and political fabric. For this reason, then, the phrase "I celebrate myself" serves as an appropriate introduction.
In the collection of Whitman's work, eventually titled "Leaves of Grass," every image, every experience, every "atom of my blood," is a celebration, not only of Whitman but also of the reader -- "For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." As Whitman gathers his life anecdote by anecdote, every contact with other humans ("the country boy at the close of the day driving the herd of cows"), every moment of repose with Nature ("I looked up in perfect silence at the stars"), in every appreciation of civilization's progress (from farm animals to "streets, piers, shipping, store-houses"), "I am mad for it to be in contact with me." He "celebrates" his very existence, his own facticity, as he "contributes a verse" by inviting his soul to observe the world with him. Whitman is celebrating the immediacy of his physical presence, "signing for body and soul" when he puts his signature to his work.
In Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself,” in what ways does “I celebrate myself…” serve as an appropriate introduction to the themes and poetic vision described in the poem?
"Song of Myself" is, itself, a celebration of the individual. Whitman rejoices in his "tongue, every atom of [his] blood," even his own "fragrance" and the "smoke" of his breath. He is not unaware that body odor and breath are not typically thought of as smelling good, but he celebrates them nonetheless. He revels in the sensory, going naked to a stream in the woods because he is "mad for it to be in contact with [him.]" He uses words that might not fit our typical concept of poetry, words...
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like "crotch" and "loafe." He takes subjects that might seem base or ugly—like crotches or, for example, suicide—and weaves them, unflinchingly, into his descriptions because they are part of our human experience. Whitman glories in every aspect of human existence, the beautiful and the less beautiful—death, sex, suicide, childhood, illness—as well as how human existence is connected to everything else in nature and vice versa. Therefore, the first part of the first line of the poem prepares the reader for what is to come. Everything that is part of one's "self" is fair game in this poem and, for Whitman, is something worth celebrating.
In Whitman’s poem “Song of Myself,” in what ways does “I celebrate myself…” serve as an appropriate introduction to the themes and poetic vision described in the poem?
"I celebrate myself" is the first portion of the first line of Walt Whitman's most famous poem, "Song of Myself." It is a fitting introduction, as Whitman's sprawling verse is most seriously concerned with developing a radical conception of the individual. In 52 sections, Whitman explores various themes, ideas, and images, but he returns again and again to the self in what becomes a celebration of the individual and the interconnected structure of the universe.
"I celebrate myself" is a fitting introduction to this project, as it introduces Whitman's most important theme: the sovereignty of the self and the exploration of individual identity. This introductory line, along with the first section it precedes, touches on this basic theme at multiple points, as Whitman calls out to his "soul" (4), considers aspects of his physical body (6), and prepares to speak, "Hoping to cease not till death" (9). In short, "I celebrate myself" immediately orients the reader to the foundation of "Song of Myself": Whitman's extensive, even epic, exploration of the nature of identity.