Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman | Song of Myself

Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of Song of Myself from Walt Whitman's poetry collection Leaves of Grass.


Fixated on nature as most Romantics were, Whitman connects the human experience to the material world. The poet's egalitarian philosophies of the mind and of society are unified and enhanced by lush imagery and piquant detail.

Considered vulgar by some at the time, the poems in the volume are frank. There are uncensored text depictions of the human body and of emotional experience. Such poems as "Song of Myself," a paean to individuality, and "I Sing the Body Electric," an homage to the human form, remain milestones in the development of American verse.

Leaves of Grass can be interpreted as a catalog of the 19th-century American experience as chronicled by its most revolutionary, democratic poet. Walt Whitman is at times intimate and confessional, at times sprawling and rambling.

Leaves of Grass went through nine editions over Whitman's lifetime, beginning with 12 untitled anonymous free-verse poems in 1855 and ending with a behemoth "death-bed" edition of hundreds of titled poems in 1892.

With the publication of Leaves of Grass, Whitman was hailed as the first truly American poet, breaking with established norms. He spoke for all of America's people, lending voices to the marginalized and promoting egalitarianism and democratic ideals.

The poems in Leaves of Grass contain many powerful themes. They proclaim the power of nature as a unifying force in humanity. They explore the dichotomy of unity vs. individualism, emphasizing the importance of self-expression in a democratic society. Key figures include "I," as Whitman plays the omniscient everyman narrator; "You", as the poet breaks the third wall and speaks directly to his audience; and Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman reverently eulogizes.


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[chellochamber]

This guy exudes more energy in 3 and a half minutes than I do in a year.

[brandonsanger]

This video was extremely helpful in understanding the themes, meanings, and purpose of this elaborate work of poetry. Thank you for the precise and informative video! It's helping me write an essay for class and get a better grasp on the many themes within the poem.

[christophersim]

I’m here because I read “we contain multitudes” where Walt Whitman is a constant motif in the book and this poem and specific part leaves of grass. But I have to be honest I have never heard about Walt Whitman but he keeps coming up in my books.

[erinlesliehicks]

i think this man genuinely has saved me

[optimisticundersecretary]

Best video I've had to watch for school so far. This guy's energy is impeccable and I don't know why.

[willieluncheonette]

" Walt Whitman says I celebrate myself, I sing myself. That is aloneness. This man Whitman is really a mystic, not just a poet. He should be counted with the ancient RISHIS of the Upanishads. America has not given birth to many great mystics; Whitman is really one of the most precious gifts of America to the world. He says: I celebrate myself, I sing myself. That’s what a mystic has always been supposed to do, that’s what a mystic’s function is: to celebrate himself. But how will you celebrate? You will have to invite others. You will have to ask others to come and participate.

Please meditate on these words of Walt Whitman:

“I think I could turn and live with animals, they ar so placid and self-contained;
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition.
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins;
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.”

[carlaraimer]

You are amazing! You nail it clearly concisely & with variety ! 🌈🙏💜when I was in 9th grade, this was a game changer for me! Now it resonates all the more

[jalenleak]

Walt for the first time has gathered multiple perspectives and all together considered the nation, nature, and the audience as a collective slef improving being

[johanthepohan]

came here for answers, now i have to look up what free verse is.... ://

[jalenleak]

Walt shows what the dream of America is in this section. He highlights that he takes care of a runaway slave and highlights a ship from the Revolutionary War. This brings light to the concept of America would turn into and not what it is. A question would be if he intended for the first version of readers to make his dream come true or did he want his psers to follow his dream? Or both?

[cosmoBlue]

Thank you SO SO much for making these videos, they are lifesavers! 🙈🤓