My work from February 10th (because apparently it failed to upload after I hit publish and I didn’t see until I went to comment something today! Don’t you love technology!)
As a science nerd one of the first things, I thought about when reading “I Sing the Body Electric” was what electric meant in the 1860s. Obviously, electricity was only just beginning to be used at this time, and it wasn’t until 1882 when the first commercial power plant was built. Whitman clearly did not have the same definition of ‘electric’ as we do today so that leads me to question what did he envision when he wrote “I Sing the Body Electric”?
If I eradicate electricity from my knowledge, the first thing that comes to mind when reading this line is lightning which inherently connects to Whitman through the theme of nature. I think it’s fair to say that Whitman was also thinking along these lines, as later on in section 5 he literally says, “I see my soul reflected in Nature”.
Throughout this poem Whitman emphasizes the connection of body and soul, saying they cannot be separated and they’re essentially the same thing expressed in different ways. I read this in 2 ways. Firstly, I can see it as encouragement to accept your own physical form and a celebration of the human body which was a radical concept during a period of conservatism and privacy. However, I can also see it as a political statement. The soul is scared, there is no question about that, but if the soul and the body are one that means that the body is also sacred. This means that all bodies should be treated with the respect the soul demands regardless of race, age, class etc. This goes back to what we’ve said many times about Whitman’s inclusivity and desire to represent all voices. In this poem he talks about “A man’s body at auction” and essentially says that even the highest bids cannot be high enough for the soul is priceless. There are many more examples of equality in this poem and I’m not going to list them all, but it is something that stood out to me as I read it for the first time.
This was a great read! Admittedly I was sort of just nodding along when I read “I Sing the Body Electric” but now I’m thinking about the meaning of electricity in this context. I think your connection between it and lightning makes a lot of sense!
And your final paragraph was very thoughtful. Whitman loves writing about the body and soul being together and also separate simulatenously. Great connection between that and respecting everyone’s bodies!!
Super interesting thought!! I hadn’t considered this. We talked before about how Whitman loved new technologies, and I feel like this fits right in. In a time when electricity is the hot new thing, of course he would be attracted to its allure.
In the context of the poem, it adds a bit to the spiritual aspect, for me. Electricity must have seemed like such a powerful new force of nature, so likening it to this connection between the body and the soul really emphasizes an almost other-worldliness hidden within the natural.