In “I Sing the Body Electric”, Whitman describes the human body, both the female and male bodies, describing their different parts and what makes them sacred and divine. In Section 9, Whitman lists of basically every part of the body, emphasizing this distinction between the body and the soul. And yet, he ends the poem with the line “O I say now these are the soul!” (Whitman 258). So which is it? Are the body and the soul two distinct features of human existence that work together to function within human life, or are these two features interconnected to an extreme degree where they are undistinguishable from each other?
3 thoughts on “Body vs Soul or Body & Soul?”
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I read it as him precisely outlining where his conflict lies. I think he wants the reader to sit in like an in-between, and try to reason and deliberate where the soul and body both fit into the larger picture of being. I do think though, that he is deliberately trying to rid the idea that the body is a vessel for the soul. Instead, the body and the soul are clearly distinct yet interwoven, rejecting a conflict between the sinful body and a pure soul. To add also, he seems to be trying to communicate that to know the body is to know the soul, and the soul can be reflected through the body. This would align with the quote “O I say now these are the soul”, because as he is looking at the body he does see the soul. I hope that makes sense it felt like just a stream of consciousness. If he were to more clearly delineate where he thinks the distinction lies, would that work against the themes often portrayed in WW poems?
This is my February 10 work lol.
I would agree here. I think for Whitman, the soul and body are separate, but they have a powerful influence on each other. Hence why he emphasizes how good it is for the soul to take care of one’s body and vice versa. They aren’t one and the same, but they’re lovers.