Snow and Whitman, what more can we ask?
We’ve read two versions of “Song of Myself,” and I instantly noticed a different tone in the 1891-92 version. These lines from the opening section were seemingly added in:
My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air
Born here of parents born here from parents the same,
I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
Hoping to cease not till death. (lines 6-9)
Here, it seems to be an older Whitman reflecting on his past self. There’s almost this conclusion that this poem started in 1855, and, although he’s about to die, this conversation existed before and will continue after him.
Because we are aware of his life story and the context he lived in, our reading is inherently altered. When I first read these lines, it set a tone of death and intrinsic sadness to the entire poem as I knew Whitman was revising this on his literal death bed.
But do you have any other interpretations of how this first section functions as a “prelude” to the rest of the poem? How did you feel initially reading this? Does this say anything about the process of a writer?
A contributor to this sadder tone is the lack of ellipses and his demure use of exclamation marks. In our class on January 22, we discussed his use of punctuation in the 1855 version, and how the ellipses provide space for both the speaker/Whitman and the reader to contemplate his points. In the “death bed” edition, Whitman omits ellipses, giving a definitive and serious voice. Part of me believes this has to do with his age and gained maturity (as a person and writer) but also because of the change in broader America. Whitman initially wrote “Song of Myself” before the Civil War, and, in this final version, the country was dealing with the effects of reconstruction and the promises of the 20th century.
Are there different ways the tone is being depicted other than punctuation? Any other parts where the tone seems extremely precise, even morbid? How do you think his experiences as a nurse contributed to his more certain tone? Are there specific parts which document America’s change?
Enjoy the snow and stay safe!
Aaliyah
Tangent off the phrase “parts which document America’s change” — I’ve been thinking a lot about the work “Untitled (America)” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres, while reading Song of Myself. The artwork consists of 12 light-strings, which can be displayed together and/or separate, inside and/or outside at the curator’s discretion. The multi-modality of the work is very intentional–it democratizes the work, allowing variable input across personal, institutional, and curatorial levels. The work also requires heavy manual maintenance, making sure each lightbulb is always working correctly, monitoring the stability or flux of the display.
Last year, the work was displayed across DC at the National Portrait Gallery, DC’s 8th Street, and the MLK Branch of DC Public Library. At the library, it was displayed with quotes from Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and others. A quote from Felix read, “America has always been an unattainable dream, a place to always dream about. It is an imperfect state…. Democracy is a constant job, a collective dedication.” It’s interesting how the real labor of maintaining this piece becomes a metaphor for the labor of maintaining democracy. There’s also something very Whitman-esque to how invisible the piece can feel… it is “just a string of lights” after all. And yet, it holds all this charge and metaphor and value, which feels very in line with the way Whitman saw the simplest things as monumental.
I’ll do a full post about Walt+Felix soon. There’s even a related light-string work called “Untitled (Leaves of Grass)”. I’ll keep my actual response to this prompt for conversation on Thursday. See you then!
Hey!
I’m a huge art/film history lover, so this is exciting to see! I always think about the way poetry functions as a written and spoken art form, so seeing something multi-modal inspired by (Whitman’s) poetry is awesome.
Aaliyah
Hi Aaliyah! I also noticed the new edition to the opening section. I agree that it feels like an older Whitman looking back and reflecting on his life. I also feel like it gives the poem more authority; he is not just a young man spouting off random nonsense that he is no life experience to support. Rather, he is an old man who has lived his life and still stands by these ideas that his younger self discovered and put forth. It feels like him standing his ground; he can say that he always knew what he was talking about, and that his ideas still ring true, even all these years later.
This was a great read and really got me thinking. I definently agree with the idea that this version is sort of a return to his past ideas to compare or contrast what has changed.
I sort of saw the use of ellipses as the lack of a future. The presence of ellipses often denoted a continuiation of ideas or the suggestion that is more to come. However, since he is at the end of his life, there is nothing else to come. That doesn’t change his ideas themselves which is why a lot of it remains the same. Even if there is change to be had in the future, he will not be there to see it so there is no need to draw it out.