Song of Myself Questions and Answers
Song of Myself
What is the meaning of section 1 in the poem "Song of Myself"?
From the first line, Walt Whitman makes it clear that he plans to celebrate himself in his poem. The introductory section also evokes the classic invocation of the muse found in epic poems such as...
Song of Myself
What are some themes and symbols in "Song of Myself," with specific details?
One main theme in Walt Whitman’s poem Song of Myself might be pleasure. Throughout the poem, the speaker appears to constantly experience delight, rapture, or pleasure. Early on in the poem, the...
Song of Myself
How does Whitman use or describe death in "Song of Myself"? I am writing a paper on Whitman's "Song of Myself" and...
In part 6 of "Song of Myself," Whitman portrays death as just another step on the journey of our lives; it is a continuation rather than an end. He asks what we think has become of the people who...
Song of Myself
What is the significance of Grass in Walt Whitman's Song of myself?
The significance of Grass, in American poet Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself”, as part of his epic work “Leaves of Grass” is that a single blade of grass represents an individual in society. The man...
Song of Myself
Explain the line, "My tongue, every atom of my blood, formed from this soil," in "Song of Myself."
Walt Whitman talks about the atoms that make up his tongue and his blood coming from the soil because they literally do. It's comparable to the more modern quote by astronomer and astrophysicist...
Song of Myself
"I Celebrate Myself" is the first section of Whitman's poem "Song of Myself." In what ways does "I celebrate myself"...
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...
Song of Myself
What are some examples of metaphor in the poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman?
Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes. In this first example of a metaphor, the "perfumes" represent memories. Indeed, it is often said that the sense of...
Song of Myself
What is Walt Whitman's attitude in section 17 in of "Song of Myself"?
In this section, Whitman expresses a unity and comraderie with everyone else on the planet; he feels connected to them, at one with them, and as much a part of them as they are of him. He...
Song of Myself
What does Walt Whitman mean when he calls the grass ''the flag of my disposition'' in section 6 of "Song of Myself"?
Whitman's observation that the grass may be "the flag of my disposition" is given in response to a child asking him what grass is. He freely observes that he does "not know what it is any more than...
Song of Myself
What is the tone of "Song of Myself " by Walt Whitman?
The free-verse poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman is considered one of the greatest works of American literature. It was first published in 1855 as part of Whitman's collection Leaves of Grass....
Song of Myself
What is the significance of the line "Nature without check with original energy" in "Song of Myself"?
To understand the line "Nature without check with original energy" in "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman, it is important to perceive the speaker's intention in the poem. "Song of Myself" is a...
Song of Myself
How does Whitman treat the concept of "self" in "Song of Myself" in terms of universality?
In Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," there are many aspects to ponder, but the one that strikes me is that of universality. Whitman notes that he is one with nature, one with all the men and women...
Song of Myself
In "Song Of Myself," there are many figures of speech related to grass. In most cases throughout, the word it also...
Three figures of speech related to grass in "Song of Myself" are as follows: It must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven. In the quote above, Whitman uses a metaphor...
Song of Myself
What is the meaning of section 52 in "Song of Myself" by Whitman?
With section 52, Whitman ends his long poem Song of Myself—a poem that seems to encompass both eons and universes. How can such a poem end? Only with the same exuberant flourish that has sustained...
Song of Myself
What might the hawk symbolize in "Song of Myself"?
In verse 52 of "Song of Myself," Whitman first sees the spotted hawk as an "other," standing outside of himself: The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me, he complains of my gab and my...
Song of Myself
In section 6 of Song of Myself, how does the image of grass represent the cycle of life and death?
In Section 6 of "Song of Myself" Whitman uses the imagery of grass to explore the theme of death and rebirth. The child asks the speaker what seems like a fairly simple question: "What is grass?"...
Song of Myself
What are the Romantic elements presented in "Song of Myself"?
Many elements of Romanticism appear in Whitman's poem. Romantics celebrated nature as a spiritual force, exalted the common person, wrote in everyday language, and wanted to express deep emotion...
Song of Myself
How did nature influence Whitman to write the poem "Song of Myself"?
As a Transcendentalist writer, Walt Whitman believed in the idea (akin to the Unitarian belief today) that God, nature, and humans are all connected. "Song of Myself," as a long poem comprised of...
Song of Myself
How can we apply this passage in our lives from "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman? "You shall no longer take things...
This passage from the second stanza of "Song of Myself" introduces a vitally important theme in this incredible poem, in which the speaker urges his audience to not accept experience that has...
Song of Myself
What are the literary devices in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"?
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is an interesting work because it was completed over such a long period of time and revised based on Whitman's changes in life, experience, and thinking, though the...
Song of Myself
How does Walt Whitman show individualism and idealism in his poem "Song of Myself"?
Discussing individualism in Song of Myself can be tricky. While the title would suggest this an autobiographical work about Whitman—and on one level it is—the "I" of the poem is, nevertheless, most...
Song of Myself
What elements of realism are present in Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself"?
"Song of Myself" captures numerous qualities that we find in realist literature:Verisimilitude: Realist writers want to present as close a portrait of truth as is possible. Whitman takes this one...
Song of Myself
Can anyone explain what sections 16 and 19 mean in the poem "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman?
Section 16 starts with contradictions. He states he is one thing, but also the opposite of that thing: "Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man" (l.3). Whitman is saying...
Song of Myself
What is section 14 about in Whitman's poem "Song of Myself"?
In the final stanza of this section, Whitman writes that: What is commonest, cheapest, nearest, easiest, is Me,Me going in for my chance, spending for vast returns,Adorning myself to bestow myself...
Song of Myself
What paradoxes does Walt Whitman list in section 16 of "Song of Myself"?
In Part 16 of "Song of Myself," Walt Whitman lists a number of paradoxes. All of them can be used to illuminate Whitman's thematic concerns, which are part and parcel of Whitman's...
Song of Myself
What is "Part 33" in Song of Myself about? (the beginning of the start and the end..read whats in between.) I...
Whitman talks about the great extent of his imagination: "I skirt sierras, my palms cover continents, I am afoot with my vision." Lots of power exists within this imagination. It seems to have...
Song of Myself
In "Song of Myself," what do these lines mean? "I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my...
I too am not a bit tamed, I too am untranslatable, I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world. (1332-3) Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is wild poem reveling in the exploration of the...
Song of Myself
What does section 51, line 5 of "Song of Myself" mean?
In Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," section 51, lines 3–5 read: Listener up there! what have you to confide to me? Look in my face while I snuff the sidle of evening, (Talk honestly, no one else...
Song of Myself
In section 10 of "Song of Myself", what do you think this stanza shows about the speaker’s relationship with his...
The encounter with the runaway works to show that the narrator identifies with this man just as he earlier identified with nature, with the clam-diggers and with the marriage party. The "self" in...
Song of Myself
In section 33 of "Song of Myself," how is the skipper of the boat depicted?
You are referring to the skipper who rescues passengers off the drifting wreck of a steamship. The skipper is portrayed as a courageous hero: I understand the large hearts of heroes,The courage of...
Song of Myself
What do you learn about the speaker of the poem? How would you describe the speaker? Cite evidence from the text to...
This poem is a bit odd in that the speaker of the poem is Walt Whitman. Section 24 has Whitman name dropping himself, so the speaker is Whitman or the persona that Whitman is creating for himself...
Song of Myself
In section 1 of Song of Myself, explain following lines: "hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in...
Whitman draws on the tradition of epic poetry, beginning with a declaration in which he seems to depict himself as his own muse (the poem is called the "song of myself," after all) rather than...
Song of Myself
What is the attitude of the speaker toward nature in "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman?
The speaker's attitude in Whitman's famous poem toward nature is that of reverence and adoration. The entirety of the poem is spent cherishing the wonder that nature brings, placing the speaker in...
Song of Myself
What is a summary of Part 11 of "Song of Myself" by Walt Whitman?
Part 11 of this poem concerns a "lonesome" woman who is, at twenty-eight years of age, the owner of a "fine house" which overlooks the shore where twenty-eight young men are bathing. The woman's...
Song of Myself
In "Song of Myself," Whitman asks (and answers) a question that he must have felt would be asked by his readers: "Do...
As your question already acknowledges, Walt Whitman's epic poem "Song of Myself" is brimming with contradictions. The quote you cite shows that Whitman held many beliefs and thoughts. When a person...
Song of Myself
How does the poem present the relationship between body and soul?
In "Song of Myself," Walt Whitman seeks to overcome two traditional beliefs: first, that the body and soul are separate, and second, that the soul is greater than the body. In Christian doctrine,...
Song of Myself
In "Song of Myself", section 10, what repetitions of sentence patterns help to create cadence? What feelings does...
Another aspect of sentence fluency that can create a gentle or peaceful cadence is consonance. Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds within words. Take a look at the first stanza of the...
Song of Myself
"I speak the pass-word primeval, I give the sign of democracy; / By God! I will accept nothing which all cannot have...
Whitman and his American literary brethren arose in response to the hidebound, constrictive, and myopic culture of the Old World. The oppressive weight of the trappings of European culture and its...
Song of Myself
What is characteristically American about the speaker of the poem "I Celebrate Myself, and Sing Myself" by Walt Whitman?
Generally, Whitman is identified as projecting a specifically American persona, here and throughout his oeuvre, because of his "individualism." Though this is a valid perception, it's also...
Song of Myself
What are the major themes and ideas in Song of Myself 10 by Walt Whitman
In Section 10 of Song of Myself, there is the idea of acceptance of all that the poet observes in nature and those who live in accompaniment with him. There is no moral judgment placed upon those...
Song of Myself
In Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" #10 what does it mean?
The first half talks about his travels; he lists different experiences he has had. The first is going out hunting, "wandering amazed at my own lightness and glee" as he does. It is obvious that...
Song of Myself
The speaker in number 33 observes and participates in several American scenes.Identify the scenes,& describe the...
Like the other response states, the almost infinite scenes Whitman describes in section 33 of this poem are not individually significant. However, each is part of a unified whole. Whitman is trying...
Song of Myself
In the last stanza of part 1, the speaker refers to schools of thought that he has considered in the past and has now...
The last line of this section refers to "nature without check with original energy." If you are familiar with other American poets of the nineteenth century, you may recognize this trend toward a...
Song of Myself
In section 6 of "Song of Myself," how does the image of grass represent the cycle of life and death? Cite evidence...
About halfway through section 6 of "Song of Myself," Whitman writes that the grass, clutched by a child, could be "itself a child, the produced babe of the vegetation." Here Whitman implies that,...
Song of Myself
Consider the confident tone of the poet’s voice in section 31 of "Song of Myself." The shapes, sizes, and dangers in...
In section 31 of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," the poet marvels at life. He looks through the eyes of wonder, recognizing the miracle in a “leaf of grass” that is as beautiful and intricate as...
Song of Myself
Can somebody please explain to me what happens in Section 5 of Song of Myself by Walt Whitman?
In this section, Whitman speaks directly to his soul, instructing it, saying that no other part of himself should "abase itself to you," this part of his soul, and that this part of his soul "must...
Song of Myself
In Section 33 of Song of Myself, what are some examples of visual imagery and tactile imagery?
This section of Whitman's poem is filled with sensory writing; imagery is the most predominant poetic technique found throughout. Many of the visual images are those of nature: "Where the panther...
Song of Myself
Whitman states, "I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world." How does that statement and his explanations...
Whitman's diction is poetic and free. His line that begins "I sound my barbaric yawp" celebrates his own power and freedom and liberates him from both poetic and societal conventions. His poetry is...
Song of Myself
In this excerpt from the poem "Song of Myself," which literary device does Whitman use to address the sea? Is...
In Whitman's "Song of Myself," one should know each of the devices listed so as to rule out the incorrect answers, especially if choices seem similar, or a response does not immediately come to...
Song of Myself
What is the meaning of the line "I do not ask the wounded person how he feels, I myself become the wounded person"...
“Song of Myself” is a poem by Walt Whitman. It was first published in 1855. It is an exploration and celebration of oneself as a person, which is why the poet chose to write it from the perspective...
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