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Critical Analysis Of Walt Whitman's Song Of Myself

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In Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself’, one can appreciate the poem properly by understanding the poem’s voice, imagery, figures of speech, symbols, word choice, and theme. To understand it though requires a great deal of thought to arrive to the meaning behind the writing. Especially since this poem was written in the nineteenth century and is written in a very loose structure and free verse. Firstly, the speaker of the poem is an individual, Walt Whitman himself, as seen by the repetition of “I” in the poem. In addition, the poem’s title “Song of Myself’ gives us a hint that it will be about himself. Also Whitman introduces his personas in the poem as “my soul” and “myself” (1149). These personas are two different things that Whitman gives life to. These personas help Whitman experience life to the fullest throughout his journey in the poem. Secondly, Whitman’s use of imagery shows the power of his imagination and the extent of his sensory impressions. Line twenty-two for example brings forth the energy coming from nature and its spiritual affect on the self. In addition, Whitman uses the senses to draw a picture for the reader. Touch for example, is used in “a few light kisses, a few embraces…”(1150). Hearing is used in “the sound of the belch’d words of my voice…”(1150). Sight is …show more content…

It was very descriptive as seen in “the sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore and dark-color’d sea-rocks…”(1149). Ambiguous by not finishing a phrase as he says “I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, hoping to cease not till death” which makes the reader become the poet and fill in the gap after “begin” (1149). His diction was also informal due to the fact that he used colloquialism as he said “the belch’s words of my voice loos’d to the eddies of the wind”(1150). Whitman used this diction so any common person could understand it during his

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