Walt Whitman: Revolutionary Poet of Realism and Individuality
There is no doubt that Walt Whitman was a poet born into a very conservative period. In his poems, we can see the transition from Romanticism to Realism. His views, thoughts, and beliefs were so ahead of his time that he was almost considered revolutionary because of his writing. This is the case with two of his most remarkable poems, “Song of Myself” and “I Sit and Look Out,” where he touched on subjects that people from that time period wouldn’t touch. More importantly, he took these subjects and broke all rules and taboos imposed by society.
“Song of Myself”: A Celebration of Self and Acceptance
First published in 1855 in Whitman’s collection “Leaves of Grass,” “Song of Myself” is one of the best-known and most influential poems written by an American. With around 70 pages and divided into 52 sections, “Song of Myself” takes the reader on an epic journey through many settings, time periods, and viewpoints. Walt Whitman had some radical ideas about America, democracy, spirituality, sexuality, nature, and identity. He used “Song of Myself” to delve into those ideas, such as self-knowledge, liberty, and acceptance for all.
The 1800s was a period in which the word “sex” was not openly spoken or discussed, but Whitman was the exception. We can see that in one of the paragraphs he says, “Out of the dimness opposite equals advance, always substance and increase, always sex…” This particular line can be considered a homosexual reference, but it also implies that he accepts all forms of love.
“I Sit and Look Out”: A Reflection on Society’s Evils
On the other hand, “I Sit and Look Out” was published in 1860, a time when most Americans were fearful about the consequences of slavery and how it would be resolved. Thus, it is not surprising that this author would look around and see this declining society. This poem is mainly about the cruelty of human nature, such as discrimination, corruption, suffering, shame, and oppression. There are no positive images to be found in the entire poem.
Whitman was a believer in individualism, the importance of nature, values, faith, and truth to create a better world to live in. The poem begins with “I sit,” which means that he is just a passive observer of life, and at the end, he says, “see, hear, and am silent,” condemning himself because he sees and hears all the suffering around him, but he is silent, doing nothing else but observe.
The aim of this poem is to point out that all these horrors can be easily observed because they are all around us, but if all we do is see and be silent, this horror and human cruelty will overwhelm us.
Whitman’s Legacy: A Call to Action
In conclusion, Whitman’s sincerity is present in many parts of the poem, making it easy to believe he was different from other authors. Walt was not scared of presenting reality because he thought life was beautiful. His optimism over war, famine, pain, and horror gave him a positive attitude towards life. He broke many barriers and bent many rules, as he mentions. Nevertheless, these catastrophes are still happening today.
So, what we should do is take action and find solutions for the construction of a better world, always thinking that we are all individuals and unique but part of a whole society. “Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”