What does born here of parents born here from parents the same and their parents the same? Which lines show the author's awareness of his connection to others?
I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me asgood belongs to you.
What does my tongue every atom of my blood form'd from this soil this air?
How does this line support the theme of the poem Song of Myself?
How does the form of Song of Myself help the poem communicate its theme quizlet?
Which statement best describes how these lines reflect the general structure of the poem Song of Myself?
Which statement best describes how these lines reflect the general structure of the poem?
Just as the poem has a loose, open structure, these lines display personal freedom.
What is the significance of the title of the poem Song of Myself?
In 1860, Whitman shortened the title to “Song of Myself.” This change is important because we suspect that “Walt Whitman” and “Myself” (or “Me Myself”) might actually be different “characters” in the poem. This final title is also more democratic, and
focuses our attention of the “Me Myself” persona
.
What do you learn from the speaker of the poem Song of Myself How would you describe the speaker?
The speaker of the poem is
someone who celebrates the human self as an all-encompassing spirit
. He believes in the unity of self and nature. For him, the self can be simultaneously one and part of everything in the universe. As he writes, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself…
What does Whitman say his tongue and blood are formed?
His tongue and blood are formed
from the soil and the air
. He appreciated nature and views it positively and believes that he was formed from nature.
What implications do these lines of the poem have regarding the question of national identity?
What implications do these lines of the poem have regarding the question of national identity? A)
These lines suggest that nations don't exist in nature; only people do
. B) These lines suggest that national identity might exist in nature, but isn't important.
What are the two main themes of Song of Myself?
There are three important themes:
the idea of the self, the identification of the self with other selves
, and the poet's relationship with the elements of nature and the universe. Houses and rooms represent civilization; perfumes signify individual selves; and the atmosphere symbolizes the universal self.
What is Whitman saying in Song of Myself?
As Walt Whitman, the specific individual, melts away into the abstract “Myself,” the poem explores the possibilities for communion between individuals. Starting from the premise that “
what I assume you shall assume
” Whitman tries to prove that he both encompasses and is indistinguishable from the universe.
What is the best interpretation of this excerpt from Song of Myself?
What is the best interpretation of this excerpt from “Song of Myself”?
These are really the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands, they are not original with me, / If they are not yours as much as mine they are nothing, or next to nothing
…. Whitman admits that he has borrowed poetic ideas from writers of the past.
Which statement best describes the effect of the narration of the story the oval portrait?
Which statement best describes the effect of the narration on the story?
The narration suggests Usher's mental decline after his sister's death
. Read the excerpt from “The Oval Portrait,” by Edgar Allan Poe.
How is the concept of friendship portrayed in both Society and Solitude and Chapter I of nature quizlet?
How is the concept of friendship portrayed in both Society and Solitude and Chapter I of Nature?
Friendship is considered to be valuable but not necessarily vital
. Which sentence from Nature best supports Emerson's claim? The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child.
Which best explains the symbolism behind ahabs?
Which best explains the symbolism behind Ahab's ivory leg, fashioned from the jaw of a whale in Chapter 28 of Moby-Dick?
Ahab hunts whales with the aim of conquering the enemy.
What is the purpose of the poet's use of the phrase learn'd astronomer in line 1 of the poem?
Which of these is a poetic device Walt Whitman often uses to emphasize certain ideas in his poems?
What effect does free verse have on the speaker's voice and the subject in Song of Myself?
What is the relationship between the individual self and universal self according to Walt Whitman?
To Whitman,
the self is both individual and universal
. Man has an individual self, whereas the world has a universal self. The poet wishes to maintain the identity of his individual self-aiming a mystical union with God, the Absolute self. Sexual union, to the poet, is a figurative anticipation of spiritual union.
What does I loaf and invite my soul mean?
What were Walt Whitman's poems about?
What is the message of the poem?
What is the speaker persona in the poem How would you describe this persona?
The speaker is
the voice or “persona” of a poem
. One should not assume that the poet is the speaker, because the poet may be writing from a perspective entirely different from his own, even with the voice of another gender, race or species, or even of a material object.
What does this mean I celebrate myself and sing myself and what I assume you shall assume For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you?
This poem
celebrates the poet's self
, but, while the “I” is the poet himself, it is, at the same time, universalized. The poet will “sing myself,” but “what I assume you shall assume,/For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” The poet loafs on the grass and invites his soul to appear.
What is the meaning of Whitman's notion that the United States is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations?
America has the fullest poetical nature. In the poem “Leaves of Grass”, What is the meaning of Whitman's notion that the United States “is not merely a nation but a teeming nation of nations”?
Whitman refers to the cultural diversity of the American people
.
What do you think grass symbolizes in this poem?
What natural images does Whitman use to communicate the idea that his thoughts belong to everyone?
S17 What natural images does Whitman use to communicate the idea that his thoughts belong to everyone? He refers to
the grass that grows everywhere and the air that everyone breathes
.
What are implications for the reader in the line for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you?
How do the speaker the owner of the woods and the horse react to the beauty of nature?
Which characteristic makes Song of Myself a free verse poem?
What is the most likely reason the author chose a free verse structure for “Song of Myself”?
Free verse allowed for the expression of expansive ideas
. How do these lines reflect the poet's general style? They show the poem's relaxed, candid tone.
What does the color green represent in Song of Myself?
Which of the literary movement best represents Song of Myself?
Summary & Genre. Quite simply, Whitman's poem is an unabashed celebration all about himself, exemplifying the
Transcendental Movement
to a “T.” The poem had no title when first published in his collection, Leaves of Grass (1855).
What is the meaning of I Sing the Body Electric?
I Sing the Body Electric is the title of a 2011 song by the trip hop band Arms and Sleepers. What does it mean? She is
evoking Whitman's praise of the body and its sensuality, the oneness of all people
.
How does Walt Whitman represent individualism?
Whitman was viewed as a voice for the individual American
and the abolitionist movement helped fuel the idea that enslaved African Americans deserved to be treated as respected individuals. Whitman's poem “[I celebrate myself, and sing myself ] 1855” (Norton 721) is a good example of his thoughts on individualism.
What is the main idea of the poem Song of Myself?
There are three important themes:
the idea of the self
, the identification of the self with other selves, and the poet's relationship with the elements of nature and the universe. Houses and rooms represent civilization; perfumes signify individual selves; and the atmosphere symbolizes the universal self.
