Song of Myself....

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickenson were the first two influential writers looked at in this American Lit. course. Poetry has never been a strong suit for me, but I do find enjoyment in reading a vast variety of poems. Because I am a more “black and white” person, I struggle with understanding most poetry. I like to read pieces of work and know right away what is being said (this is what it says, and this is what it means). This way of thinking obviously doesn’t work well with poetry.

We kicked off this class with reading “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman. Despite my struggle with poetry, I found Whitman to be enchanting and moving. I loved how descriptive Whitman was in his writing and how he paid close attention to details. I will admit, I am not sure that I was able to grasp each part of the poem in its entirety, but I feel I was able to get a good idea of what he was trying to say. One of my favorite parts of this poem came from section six. In it, Whitman played out a conversation with a child about grass. The child asked what is grass. What may seem like a simple question is in fact a very profound one. What is grass? I’m not sure I could answer this or that it even has an answer. This idea of asking for an explanation of something so common really stuck with me. There are items we as a society pass by daily and never really stop to question. Whitman goes on to answer the child’s question by offering multiple explanations; none of which can really be deemed correct.

In “Song of Myself”, Whitman also discusses the thought of death. Death is not something that is generally explored on a positive level, but Whitman manages to do just that. He explains death as not an ending, but rather a part of life. To him, life and death are one. I often think of death as the final chapter in my life; until now, I haven’t explored the other side of death. I liked when Whitman said, “All goes onward and outward, nothing collapses, And to die is different from what any one supposed, and luckier.” What a great way to think of it! We all have this preconceived notion of what death is like and what death truly means, and Whitman has made me rethink mine.

Emily Dickenson was next on the list. This was the first time I have read a piece of work by Dickenson and I was excited to finally do so. I found Dickenson to be a bit more understandable than Whitman. Although, I liked Whitman’s way of writing a bit more than Dickenson. Going from “Song of Myself” to the poems of Dickenson required me to do a shift in my way of thinking. Emily Dickenson’s poems were short and to the point. She wrote in a way that is both intriguing and insightful. I truly enjoyed each of Dickenson’s poems. My favorite of them all was that last one, and I will leave you with that…..

Tell all the truth but tell it slant-

Success in Circuit lies

Too bright for our infirm Delight

The Truth’s superb surprise

As Lightning to the Children eased

With explanation kind

The Truth must dazzle gradually

Or every man be blind-