Thursday, October 17, 2013

What are some themes and symbols in "Song of Myself", with specific details?I need help with the details on the themes and symbols in this poem....

There are several major themes in "Song of Myself".  1.  Celebrating yourself in all of your glory and faults.  2.  Reveling in the beauty of nature, and feeling a connection to it.  3.  The connectedness and unity of life and all living beings.

For an example of #1, look at the very first line in section 1:  "I celebrate myself and sing myself".  This is a major theme throughout all of the sections.  For #2, look at section 6 where Whitman talks about all of the things that grass could be, ending with it being himself after he has died (his body feeding the grass).  For #3, section 16 is a great example of Whitman feeling connected to all human beings.

These are just a few examples; the entire poem is packed with examples of these themes.  If you give it a read-through with those themes in mind, examples will jump out more clearly.  Good luck!

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