Themes: Perspective and Scale
Throughout “Song of Myself,” Whitman contrasts the smallness of human time and space with the vastness of celestial time and space by zooming in and out between them.
This vacillation in scale allows Whitman to work in two relative realities. He often considers the life of a person in the context of an individual lifespan, celebrating their earthly experience as a whole world and eternity of its own. But when he takes a wider view, a single human life—indeed, all of human life—becomes cosmically insignificant.
In part 44, he juxtaposes human time and celestial time:
The clock indicates the moment—but what does eternity indicate?
We have thus far exhausted trillions of winters and summers,
There are trillions ahead, and trillions ahead of them
He expands and contracts his narrative repeatedly throughout the text, switching between a tangible scale and an unfathomable one. The two worlds are inextricable—his larger world is always reflected in the smaller one, just as the smaller world can always be extrapolated to the larger. The two orbit each other, definable by virtue of their contrast in scale.
This mirrors Whitman’s prevailing thesis that the individual is an embodiment of the entirety of nature and the universe. He sees himself in all others and all others in himself, containing multitudes that vastly outsize his physical form. And he sees an individual as a small, earthly embodiment of God, concentrating the vastness of the universe and celestial world in one tiny being.
Expert Q&A
Interpretation of Sections in Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself"
In Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself," sections 16 and 19 emphasize self-contradiction and universal inclusion. Whitman embraces contradictions, identifying with all humanity and trades, while celebrating kinship with nature. Section 18 honors fallen heroes, advocating for recognition beyond victory parades. Section 52 concludes the poem with Whitman merging into nature, symbolized by a hawk, representing untamed spirit and unity with the earth. He invites readers to find him in nature, suggesting an enduring connection beyond physical existence.
Whitman's approach to the concept of the sublime in section 31 of "Song of Myself."
In section 31 of "Song of Myself," Whitman approaches the concept of the sublime by emphasizing the interconnectedness of all things in nature and the human experience. He finds the sublime in the ordinary and everyday, celebrating the magnificence of the natural world and the inherent beauty in all aspects of life, rather than in grand or traditional forms of awe-inspiring beauty.
What scenes does the speaker in 'Song of Myself' section 33 observe, and what emotions do they evoke?
In section 33 of "Song of Myself," the speaker observes diverse scenes ranging from heroic acts to everyday life, evoking emotions of empathy and universality. Whitman uses repetition and antithesis to express admiration for all aspects of life, highlighting unity in diversity. He imagines himself in various roles, such as a sailor or a slave, to feel the collective human experience. This technique underscores the interconnectedness of existence, reflecting on both joy and suffering.
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