Realizing Identity through Reflection: Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself

Realizing Identity through Reflection: Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself

This oral presentation investigates pronoun choices and environmental imagery in Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself through direct analysis of stanzas. In exploring why Whitman wrote what he wrote, using such diction as “I”, “me”, “myself”, “you”, and “Walt Whitman”, this presentation analyzes the poem in hopes of teaching others what they can learn from his writing, as well as their own. With the influence of Transcendentalism pushing Whitman to view his life on a much larger scale, he reveals facets of his character that each add a different layer to how he perceives himself and how he wants to be perceived. Always recreating himself and improving his art, Whitman continually revised Song of Myselfthroughout his lifetime, evolving not only as a man, but also as a student, writer, admirer of natural beauty, and believer of the grand scheme of the cosmos. His poetry aided in shaping the American identity, bringing what it meant to be a man, an American, and an entity of mother nature to the forefront of his readers’ minds through a focus on the complexities of human beings. By studying his own verses, the presenter demonstrates how Whitman crafted rich and celebratory poetry that reflects his life experiences while also reaching forward to the unsure yet encouraging future.