Analysis Of Transcendentalism In Walt Whitman's Song Of Myself

Whitman claimed that he had started writing in 1847, but his work consisted mainly of random thoughts and unofficial lines (Lewis). His first notes contained of flashes of illumination and reflections on his personal relationship with the world around him. He lacked a specific form in his poetry and regarded poets before him as negative examples (Lewis). He shared Henry David Thoreau’s belief that poetry should act as a “healthy speech,” as he invented a style of writing that was appropriate for his work’s content (Lewis). During the spring of 1855, Whitman began writing, revising, and proof reading his work. In May, he registered the title Leaves of Grass and settled copyright notices. He wrote, designed, produced, published, and promoted Leaves of Grass which served as the center of the poet’s life for nearly forty years (Lewis). Whitman worked tirelessly and sent a copy of Leaves of Grass to Ralph Waldo Emerson, who replied in a five-page tribute to the work, stating that Whitman was at the beginning of a great literary career. However, Whitman received a significant amount of criticism, especially in response to the underlying sexual themes presented in his work. As a result of Emerson’s positive feedback, a Boston publisher offered to

In the poem, the narrator is stating that he is going to celebrate everything that constitutes his existence while referencing eternal truths; as he emphasizes his personal connection with all other aspects of culture and society. He continues to express the interconnectedness of humanity by explaining that everyone was born from the earth and procreated. For example, all individuals come from two parents, have the opportunity to grow and succeed, and then experience death. Every person has a similar experience to his own, and therefore shares the same human