Under Maintenance

For the next couple days or so, this blog will be under summer maintenance. Look forward to me coming back with all things inspired by our lovely city San Francisco.  Feel free to shoot me your links for posting.  I will visit the link and provide a brief summary, if none is provided, before posting here. Nothing too serious just blogging. Be well folks.

Not So Final, Final Project...feel free to remix it as you will.

Below you will find a track listing of the poems that we have read throughout the course by our beloved loafer Walt Whitman. After each poem, you will them find a song that I have selected that I believe connects to the central theme of each of the poems. I tried to remain as brief as possible regarding what I believed each of Whitman’s poems were hinting at and by no means provide them as a definitive description of what his poems are about. I hope that you all will enjoy and can gain a sense of how I have come to connect with Whitman through some of the poetry and music that I listen to frequently.

Whitman: The KenMix

I. Calamus Poems -- comradeship – reader/poet – future/present – bonds shared between “brothers.”

Gil Scott-Heron poem Brother this poem is directed at pseudo-revolutionaries who “talk the talk” and have the “look of a revolutionary,’ but pack no substance. As the poem concludes, the final lines represent the poetic turn where the speaker calls on his brother to “help that woman/help that man […].”

II. When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d -- an elegy written after the death of Abraham Lincoln

James Brown That’s Life -- following the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., James “The Godfather” Brown performed this song at the Boston Garden.  At the time, riots were breaking out in cities all over the United States. Most historians credit Brown’s performance with helping to stop any riots from breaking out in Boston. The title of the song suggests that the death of civil rights could be summed up no more simply than be stating: “That’s Life.”

** bonus link to history.com site that provides a top-notch summary of “this date in history.” http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/james-brown-calms-boston-following-the-king-assassination

III. Song of Myself  -- inclusivity -- bringing together people from all walks of life

Dance to the Music – Sly and the Family Stone – at the request of record executive Clive Davis, Sly Stone was asked to create a sound that was “more commercially viable.” The result of Stone’s creative genius resulted in the song Dance to the Music. From the creation process to the final product, I believe that this is one of the many songs that share similar characteristics as Whitman’s Song of Myself. I believe that Stone’s use of the entire band and all of the lead singers combined with the song’s message that urges the entire crowd to “dance to the music.” Ultimately, the make-up of the band members and audience represent, for me, an attempt by Stone to break down the binaries of black and white just as Whitman breaks down numerous binaries throughout his poem.

IV. Crossing the Brooklyn Ferry -- sharing spaces and places. Natural meets unnatural or man-made. When the speaker of Walt's poem says, "others will see [...] A hundred years hence, or ever so many hundred/ years hence, others will see them/ will enjoy the sunset, the pouring of the flood-/tide, the falling back to the sea of the ebb-tide" it captures a sense of shared time and space that I believe Walt was hinting at. 

San Francisco Anthem - San Quinn -- song was originally written by George Cory and Douglass Cross and was popularized by Tony Bennet as I Left my Heart in San Francisco. The remix version provided here by San Quinn captures some same sentiments regarding aspects of San Francisco that are shared: streets, public transit, bridges and neighborhoods to name a few. 

Song of Occupations --  as title suggests, this poem is about work: specifically, the notion of not being defined by an occupation. 

She Works Hard for Her Money -- Donna Summer -- while Summer "works hard for her momey," it is more important that you "treat her right." I believe this sentiment captures exactly the idea that Whitman is hinting at. 

Guthrie Project

I absolutely love Folk Music! Dissatisfied with the status quo, both Woody and Walt decided to utilize the pen to vent their frustrations: Walt with his Leaves of Grass and Woody with what I would describe as his remix of Star Spangled Banner--This Land Is Your Land. I stumbled across this image of Woody that I felt captured the essence of what he is about, in my opinion:

In taking a stand against facists, I believe that Woody separated himself from our beloved Walt. I believe Walt was ambiguous and never really took a solid stand on anything except loafing. I have my issues with Woody also. While performing research for an Africana class, I stumbled across the story of Huddie William Ledbetter aka Lead Belly.  I couldn't help but the notice the discrepancies between his account of the relationship that was shared between these two musicians. Woody claims to have befriended Lead Belly and Lead Belly claims the same. Musically, in my opinion, Lead Belly was far more talented and this leads me to believe that maybe Woody stole some of Lead Belly's swagger.  This wouldn't be the first case of one musician stealing the style of another. In fact, I believe culture stealing defines America. Take Elvis the "king" for example. It's no secret that he stole his entire style from the African American tradition and rebranded it as Rock and Roll. Still I digress. As my one of mentors is quick to remind me, giving Rosa Parks credit for kindling the flame that led to the Civil Rights Movement would be an injustice to African Americans such as Mary Ellen Pleasant who had successfully sued OmniBus Corporation in California nearly 100 years before. What does it all mean? For me, the land that Guthrie proclaims "was made for you and me," really wasn't made for him and the amenities that he had access to were not created by him.   

Levine Project

Awesome idea with the icebreaker questions! Reminds me of my recent experience volunteering in middle and high schools these past few semesters. For what it's worth: that is also is one of more rememberable work experiences. Throughout the course of of my volunteer hours, I have gained a greater appreciation for building relationships through informal questions that aim to find out crucial details about people that are oftentimes overlooked. For me, when I need musical motivation, I can always turn to The Roots. Currently, my anthem of choice is Walk Alone. 

Regarding Question #4: After reading Levine's What Work Is, I would describe the image that the speaker conveys as distinctly Detroit and, as a result, Americana in all it's splendid glory. Whereas Whitman's Song of Myself delivers what I believe is the image of New York, I believe that Levine's poem illustrates America through the cultural eye of the heartland of the United States. 

After perusing through the suggested photos, the following two images stood out for me:  

For me, what these images represent is something that neither Walt or Levine has been able to convey to me in any of the poems that I have read thus far: the despair and sense of being a part of the history of a nation that continues to overlook and misrepresent you. Similar handwriting can been seen scribbled on the walls of buildings in images following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. "God has left Detroit" is the poem that captures the essence of the images.  As of last year, during my last visit, I can only assume that whomever the god is that whomever the speaker was referring to still hasn't returned based strictly on my observations. So what does it all mean? Honestly, I don't know. Here is a link of one of my favorite poets lamenting on Detroit following a series of accidents at nuclear power plants in the heartland of the United States. 

 http://www.gilscottheron.com/lydetroit.html 

Sandburg Project

In the opening passages of his book titled Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, Carl Sandburg offers the following scenario regarding people who played a role in the Civil War: 

If those who are gone who had their parts and roles in it could be summoned back to tell of the gaps and discrepancies, they might give unexpected answers to questions.  And many witnesses on being dug up and given speech might again be as noncommittal as ever on this or that circumstance (vii).

Why was Carl so intrigued by “the Second American Revolution” when he “was born a little less than thirteen years after 1865?” Even after perusing through his poem The People, Yes and scanning through the first two volumes of Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, I am still uncertain as to why Carl, Whitman and many others were so enthralled by Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War as a whole (especially considering they didn't take part in the war nor were they influential in making changes to the legislation that followed the war). Along the same line I still cannot understand why some people are so fascinated and drawn to the presidency of Barack Obama. I’ll blame it on my density and lack of education. So, as I tried to articulate a question for our group project while watching The Boondocks (an animated television series based on the comic strip by Aaron McGruder) it just so happened that the episode that I was watching was a depicting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr coming back to life in present-day United States.

Here is a portion of this episode that I believed was relevant to the question that I will be offering shortly:

Question: How do you think Carl and Walt would feel about how their poems are interpreted, utilized and, often times, misread if they were somehow reincarnated and brought back to present-day United States?  Furthermore, do you feel their poems are relevant to the issues we are currently facing i.e Occupy Wall Street Movement, The Tea Party Movement and the Anti-War Movement? Sandburg and Obama both have ties to the heartland of the United States, if Sandburg were alive, do you think he write a poem for our current president?  

9/11 poem #1

If Bin Laden read Dr. Suess by Mark Kuhar 2001 September 18

I found it appropriate that the poet chose to utilize a children’s political cartoonist to couch his venomous feelings towards Bin Laden. When the speaker if the poem implores Bin Laden to “fire up some Afghani red” and “go to a soccer game” he takes on a similar tune to that of a over-coddled latchkey kid whose latest crisis consists of being out of pop-tarts or Capri-Sun juice drinks.  The sense of entitlement held by poets continues to befuddle me. What gives a poet license to suggest, “the arab world needs a savior, not a fugitive killer” while explicitly stating that Bin Laden should “feed five thousand with loaves and fish.” Anger and feelings of hurt is one thing: stupidity and hypocrisy are another. Let me get this correct: “the arab world needs a savior” and the poet suggests that Bin Laden perform Christ-like miracles? Are you confused? I am. I’ll go back to my red-dot books and attempt to craft a critique of them. 

Final Project

I am hoping to revisit my initial tracking post regarding the things that Whitman takes in as he compiles his inventory in Song of Myself. I believe that I also see a good number of the things that Whitman saw from his perch in New Jersey here in San Francisco. I will attempt to gather images of San Francisco that capture the essence of Whitman's poem. For me, this is my stab at being creative. I took a couple photography classes in junior college and this project will attempt to fuse my knowledge of San Francisco with what I am learning about Mr. Whitman.

Whitman sees "himself" while still "see[ing] and hear[ing] the whole." I'll attempt to do the same with my camera and match pictures to the imagery that Whitman provides'.

Specimen Days - 3.29.3012

Fairies, Ferries and Flamboyance…

Taking in the “absorbing shows, accompaniments, [and] surroundings” is where we find Mr. Whitman in this installment of Specimen Days titled “My Passion for Ferries.” The loafing, leisure and loquaciousness of Walt is beginning to make sense, for me. How many non-ferry captaining individuals do you know who have a passion for ferries?  I’ll wait.  Leisure time is Uncle Walt’s time.  Why captain the ferry when you can sit back and observe, “the changing panorama of steamers, all sizes.” I wonder if that just flew over a couple of heads. I slay myself!

While reading this installment and working on this week’s Tweet of the Week, I couldn’t help but notice Whitman’s almost over-the-top attraction to the men who were employed as pilots and train conductors. After searching for a connection to fairies, I found the fifth entry in the Oxford English Dictionary useful as it defines fairy as an adjective that is “delicate, finely formed or woven” and references it being used by Alfred Tennyson in his 1864 poem Aylmer’s Field. After giving Tennyson’s poem a scanning this the following lines stood out to me as significant:

Here is a story which in rougher shape
/ Came from a grizzled cripple, whom I saw
Sunning himself in a waste field alone--
/Old, and a mine of memories--who had served,
/ Long since, a bygone Rector of the place,/ And been himself a part of what he told.

Who else could Tennyson have been describing except Walt Whitman? Ok, maybe not. However, in his critical piece titled Whitman and Tennyson, Herbert Bergman suggests that while Whitman felt that Tennyson had a “value for America,” that he also believed that Tennyson was not a “proper singer for American ears.” Of course not, that was strictly the domain of the ever-observant Whitman. Traveling on a ferry, flamboyantly dressed in a finely formed or woven suit (very fairly-like) and pushing into modernity is the picture of Whitman that is beginning to form in my inner mind’s eye.  

Tweet of the Week - Peter Doyle

In an account read by Dr. William Tindall before the Columbia Historical Society on February 17, 1917, the relationship between Walt Whitman and Peter Doyle is described as following:

a typical manifestation of the unconscious deference which mediocrity pays to genius, and of the restfulness which genius sometimes finds in the companionship of an opposite type of mentality. The youthful grace of the conductor and the mature personality of the poet with iron-gray beard, slouch hat and rolling shirt collar that exposed a sturdy throat and enough of a broad chest to move with envy the modest young women of this day who affect the low-necked exposure, completed an ideal study in individual physical contrast.

Aside from hinting at a homosexual relationship between Doyle and Whitman, this passage suggests that Whitman lived vicariously through Doyle. Furthermore, the passage also highlights the mixing of the “highs” and “lows” of society that we have previously discussed in class that Whitman seemed to be fascinated with.  Doyle’s occupation as a conductor of trains also stood out to me as significant.  It is my belief that trains and the idea of modernity are inextricably linked.  Just as Whitman’s Leaves of Grass is seemingly all encompassing, I believe the advent of railroads in the United States represents an attempt to expand the ideology of Americana further west. In this sense, Doyle may represent the common man leading the educated literary elite into modernity and inverts the supposed knowledge hierarchy: a reoccurring theme in the writings of Walt Whitman.  

Tweet of the Week - Tupper

While searching for a connection between Walt Whitman and Martin Tupper, I stumbled across the following lines from Tupper’s Proverbial Wisdom: “Regard now the universe of matter, the substance of visible creation, / Which of old, well observing truth, the Greek had surnamed: Order/ Where is there an atom out of place? or a particle that yieldeth not obedience” (36). For me, these lines read eerily similar to Whitman’s famous opening lines of Song of Myself when he states “I celebrate myself/And what I assume you shall assume/for every atom belonging to me as good/belongs to you” (1).  Surely Walt, the newspaperman, had to have stumbled across Tupper’s poetry, but is this an allusion to a fellow poet or merely a sentiment shared by two poets who experienced failure when they initially published their works?

Perhaps the most striking similarity I found between the two poets was the seemingly contradictory social stances that they took. Whitman, as we have discussed, supported the abolishing slavery but still felt that free African American should not participate in voting. WTF? Similarly, Tupper, while a member of the British aristocracy seemed to reject all of the characteristics attributed to his class. As a result, I believe the strongest connection between Whitman and Tupper is their duality: Whitman the anti-poet and Tupper the anti-gentleman. Where Walt asserts “every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you,” Tupper questions “where is there an atom out of place” insinuating that we are all connected via shared atoms and echoes the same sentiment as Whitman. Maybe Whitman and Tupper were atomically connected. 

Modernity: The Walt Whitman Project

After scrolling through some of my peers’ blog posts, I believe that I am the only person in the class who Walt Whitman follows on the social networking site twitter.

For me, this indicates that Whitman and his poem are relevant in the 21^st century. I am not surprised that someone thought highly enough to create a FB page for Whitman, but the twitter page did surprise me somewhat. While I admire Richard Wright more than any other writer, I don’t envision myself taking the time to make a twitter account to celebrate my favorite lines from his haiku’s or novels.  Ultimately, I appreciate the twitter account because I am a “twitterer”: as a result, the tweets of grass that are offered up serve as reminders to me to remain up-to-date on my readings and allows me see which lines resonated with the person who created the account.

As my search for presence of Walt Whitman in pop culture continued, I ran into this cartoon attached to an op-ed piece on the Bloomberg website:

Walt Whitman, First Artist of Finance

Written by Robert Schiller, the piece cites Whitman’s novel “Franklin Evans, or The Inebriate: A Tale of the Times” as one of the his attempts to earn money suggesting that “fiction” is “more marketable than poetry.”  Ultimately, Schiller’s commentary focuses on “the myths surrounding economic equality in our society.” As a result, He utilizes Whitman’s attempts to earn money as something other than a writer of poetry. I believe Whitman would sarcastically retort “Why not simply a writer?” While I believe that Schiller is justified in his use of Whitman as an example of a pioneering poet, thus far my reading of Whitman lead me to believe that he was anti-materialist and if he did seek to earn money that it was for the purpose of publishing his poetry for the masses.    

In the same vein, I believe Levi’s brand jeans utilized a poem that was meant for the masses to market their legendary denim in 2009. I was hesitant to utilize this advertisement out of fear of oversaturation, but the uneasiness that I felt watching the commercial outweighed my fear. The easiness I felt while watching the advertisement stems from the marketers choice of models more than the choice of using Whitman's poem.  I have mentioned previously that I believe that Whitman's Leaves of Grass speaks to modernity and that modernity and expansion are inextricably linked.  Levi's denim jeans were created as a response to the needs of gold miners who needed "durable" pants. In and of itself, the Goldrush of the late 1840's and early 1850's represents expansion and provides the missing link for me between Whitman and Levi's. The more I view the commercial, the more I can envision Walt wearing the jeans that are more commonly associated with hipsters presently than gold miners of the past.  

In Walt's words...

“Self-reliant, with haughty eyes, assuming to himself all the attributes of his country, steps Walt Whitman into literature” is the poetic description provided by Walt Whitman of himself and his role as a literary in 19^th century United States of America. For me, this statement suggests that Walt believes that his poem is the first great entry into the literary world by an American writer.

After browsing through the collection of reviews for Whitman’s 1855 version of Leaves of Grass, I decided to focus on the reviews written by Whitman in September and October of 1855. Who better to inform future readers what Leaves of Grass is about than the man himself? After my initial reading of the following reviews: “Walt Whitman and His Poems,” "Walt Whitman, a Brooklyn Boy," and "An English and American Poet" one of the noticeable features that stood out to me was the poetic prose feel of Whitman’s writing in his reviews.  Poetic prose, as I understand it, is the use of poetry without verse. After rereading the selections, I decided to transform the first paragraph of a couple of the reviews into traditional poetry in order to find out if my observation was valid. The following paragraph was excerpted from the review “Walt Whitman and His Poems:”

AN American bard at last!

One of the roughs,

large, proud, affectionate, eating, drinking, and breeding,

his costume manly and free, his face sunburnt and bearded,

his posture strong and erect,

his voice bringing hope and prophecy to the generous races of young and old.

We shall cease shamming and be what we really are.

We shall start an athletic and defiant literature.

We realize now how it is, and what was most lacking.

The interior American republic shall also be declared free and independent.

My goal in transforming this section of Whitman’s review into the poem was to find out if it could be read as a poem when put into verse. As you can see or read, I believe it does. In fact, I believe that this particular passage reads more precisely as a poem titled “An American Bard at Last.” My previous studies informs me that a bard was a “professional poet” in medieval times and it seems to me that this is Walt’s declaration that his poem Leaves of Grass is an American classic. Whitman confirms my assertion when he asks of the reader “but where in American literature is the first show of America?” I believe that Whitman is imploring readers to accept his work as the first great piece of American Literature. As a result, making Whitman the first great American writer: a Song of Himself, so to speak. 

Specimen Days

More loafing…

“Loafing here deep among the trees […]” is where you’ll find Mr. Whitman in this installment of Specimen Days titled “Loafing in The Woods.” It seems as though loafing for Walt would akin to anyone else being engrossed in serious thought. While reflecting on this entry, I couldn’t help but think of the old adage “work smarter, not harder.” Whitman seems to be the master at working smarter and seems to be constantly loafing. However, while loafing generally refers to passing time at leisure, Walt’s loafing seems to share more in common with scientific observations.  Put it this way, if your job was to observe the changes of the coastline of the Pacific Ocean and you loved the outdoors and the beach: would you not be loafing while doing your job? Whitman’s loafing was a part of his scientific method. Loaf/observe then write. Maybe this explains the organic feel of Leaves of Grass. 

Frances Wright

Described as a “utopian abolitionist,” Frances Wright shared many similarities with Walt Whitman. Scottish-born Wright came to the United States and became so enamored with the fledgling nation that she decided to write a book that praised the land that she had come to admire. Rather than turn a blind eye to the institution of slavery, Wright became determined to find a solution to what she believed was the “paramount problem” of the United States.

According to the www.nndb.com website, Wright supported “free boarding schools, endorsed free love, and called for equal rights for women.” I noticed in the 1856 version of Whitman’s Leaves of Grass places A Poem for Women immediately after his Poem of Walt Whitman, An American. For me, this placement indicates Whitman’s connection to women as his first and primary connection to someone other than himself. Arguably, Wright’s greatest influence on Whitman was her position as a “utopian abolitionist” and her insistence on having sexual freedom. Our current assigned reading, A Song for Occupations, echoes the same sentiments of a utopian milieu where occupations do not define individuals. The speaker of A Song of Occupations illustrates Whitman’s desire for a utopian environment when he asserts “but I am eternally in love with you and with all my fellows upon the earth.”

I haven’t any evidence that suggests that Whitman had ever met Wright, but I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that Whitman knew of the eccentric Frances Wright. 

My Job Does Not Define Me

I believe that the following lines from Whitman’s A Song for Occupations capture the essence of the poem as a whole: “Were I as the head teacher, charitable proprietor, wise statesman, what would it amount to?/ Were I to you as the boss employing and paying/  you, would that satisfy you?”(45). I interpreted these lines to represent Whitman’s rejection of materialism. When I left my decent-paying job at Ernst & Young to pursue a career in teaching, I often felt disconnected from the final product that I was producing at my job. Ultimately, this disconnection led to dissatisfaction and me turning in my letter of resignation. The joy that I felt while writing the letter and submitting it to the Human Resources department is what I believe the answer to the questions that Walt’s speaker asserts. Getting paid well was no longer satisfying and I needed more. I had reached the proverbial glass ceiling. Whereas Whitman’s Song of Myself was a celebration of occupations, places and all things American, I believe Whitman is rejecting the idea of being defined by any occupation.

Whitman destroys the notion of any one profession being more prestigious than another by asserting:

Because you are greasy or pimpled – or that you was once drunk, or a thief,/ or diseased, or rheumatic, or a prostitute – or are so now – or from frivolity or /impotence – or that you are no scholar, and never saw your name in print…./ do you give in that you are any less immortal? (46)

In making this assertion, Whitman has essentially dismisses the idea that some professions are more valuable than others. While I believe that Whitman does appreciate every occupation, it seems that he values equality amongst professions more. I believe evidence of this can be found with the placement of the poem in the 1856 version of Leaves of Grass. Whitman places the poem after A Poem of Women and Poem of Salutations and changes the title to Poem of The Daily Work of The Workmen and Workwomen of These States. While this subtle change may seem insignificant, I believe the title change and placement location reveals the positions that each subject holds within Walt’s own value hierarchy. Walt moves from self to women to greeting and then occupations. In the same vein, I believe that Leaves of Grass moves from the internal Whitman to the Whitman that exists within all of us.  

Tweet Of The Week

Walt The B-Boy?

Please don’t tell me that “b-boys” have a connection to Whitman’s “Bowery B’hoy.” In his book, Slumming in New York: From the Waterfront to Mythic Harlem, Robert M. Dowling suggests that Whitman “discovered in the B’hoy a refreshingly American articulation” (57). Furthermore he cites Whitman as being referred to by 19^th century reviewers as the “Bowery B’hoy of Literature.” What this all add up to for me, is Walt being the American Disc-Jockey poet. Whitman seems to have been fascinated by the theater and the idea of creating arts that were distinctly “American.”

Musically, I believe that the “b-boys” of the Hip-Hop generation play a similar role to Whitman as a poet. Both Whitman and b-boys employ free verse as strategy of expressing their respective thoughts. Whereas Whitman writes, the b-boy utilizes dance as a medium of expression. 100 years after Whitman’s death, b-boys were reaching their zenith. Adidas tennis shoes, leather jackets and a mash-up with rock and roll launched Run DMC into stardom and brought prominence to innovative b-boys who articulated the culture via dance. A recent review of The Roots’ album Undone by Melophobe of www.melophobe.com asserts that MC Black Thought, of The Roots, is “the Walt Whitman of contemporary Hip-Hop” as he expands his barbaric yelp to supreme effect” in the last verse from the song One Time MC Black Thought states: “Then I went missing looking for the sublime/ A nigga stayed low left the ladder unclimbed/Time after time, verse blank, the line unrhymed” capturing what I believe is the essence of Whitman’s Song of Myself; specifically, the search for the sublime? 

Dashes, Ellipsis' and Punctuation

Five Years Later

After scanning through the 1860 version of Leaves of Grass while comparing it to the 1855 version, Whitman’s subtle switch from the use of elongated ellipsis’ became very noticeable. The ellipsis and the dash, utilized in the 1855 and 1860 versions, carry distinctly different connotations: specifically, the use of a 4-period ellipsis that usually indicates “a partial quote that is nonetheless a complete grammatical sentence,” whereas the dash is utilized “to set off an interruption that is closely relevant to the sentence but not grammatically part of it.”

I will not get off into appositives and the mechanics of writing, as I am nowhere near an expert and dread the though of teaching grammar to my future high school students—however, I do recognize, identify, respect and appreciate properly punctuated pieces. With that being said, I believe that Whitman’s subtle switch represents a nearing of completion for the poem and reflects the theme of expansion that runs throughout the poem. 

In almost every instance that I have observed in Song of Myself, the switch from an ellipsis to a dash (or comma) creates the tone of a cataloging of observations rather than a collection of incomplete ideas. For me, the poem is moving forward and expanding. 

Specimen Days v.1.2 Nights On The Mississippi

Scattered All Across America

Whitman’s Nights on the Mississippi from the Specimen Days collection reminded me of Langston Hughes’ poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers. I remember reading awhile back somewhere that Hughes was inspired by the work of Whitman and Carl Sandberg. When the speaker of Hughes’ poem asserts that he has heard “the singing in the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln/went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen it’s muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset” it echoes the same sentiments expressed by Whitman as he characterizes the river as “structure of perfection and beauty unsurpassable.”

When Sandburg describes his Chicago as the “player with railroads and the nation’s freight holder,” it reveals the common thread amongst the three poets and their poems: namely, expansion. Bridges that crossed the Mississippi River made it possible for Hughes to travel from his home state of Illinois to New York and Harlem. In fact, Hughes’ early travels are almost identical to the route of the Mississippi River.  In the same vein, I believe Whitman’s bridge represents expansion.

Ultimately, I think that both Hughes and Sandburg’s poems connect to Whitman and Song of Myself by way of the shared theme of expansion. Whitman begins by spreading himself into atoms that belong to everyman (1). Hughes’ soul has “grown deep like rivers” and Sandburg proudly asserts that he is “the Nation’s Freight Handler;/Stormy, Husky and Brawny.” Expansion and Modernity are inextricably linked. Trains, planes and automobiles. I believe the connecting thread for all three pieces are the Mississippi River, boats and another form of expansion in addition to the railroad, which is generally associated with modernity. I believe that Hughes, Sandburg and Whitman spoke to American modernity: Americana, so to speak. 

reading Walt...

Here is my humble reading of Walt (pg. 40)

Appreciation of Simplicity

The poems that I read by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (The Village Blacksmith), Elizabeth Oakes Smith (An Incident) and Thomas Bailey Aldrich (I vex me not with brooding on the years) all seem to share a sense of appreciation for simplicity. Longfellow’s poem, The Village Blacksmith, provides a catalogue of the characteristics of a blacksmith. Longfellow, much like Whitman, provides great detail in his description of the blacksmith noting details that are often overlooked. The speaker of the poem reveals the role of the blacksmith to the community when he asserts that “children coming home from school/Look in at the open door;/They love to see the flaming roar.” In making this assertion the speaker has elevated the blacksmith from the lower portion of the professional hierarchy to a spot closer to the top. Whitman does the same in Song of Myself as he reverses the knowledge hierarchy when he suggests that he knows isn’t “any more than he” (7) referring to a child.

After reading Elizabeth Oakes Smith’s poem several times, I believe that she is questioning why we miss people, places or things through the lens of a bird of prey. I am still uncertain how this connects to Whitman, but I think it may be related to seizing the moment. When the speaker of the poem states “I would not soar like thee, in the loneliness to pine” it suggests that flight should be an uplifting occasion rather than one that evokes feelings on longing.

The last poem that I read, I vex me not with brooding on the years, by Thomas Bailey Aldrich seems to be a jab at death. The speaker of the poem asserts early that “brooding on the years” will not vex him and establishes the defiant tone of the poem. Whereas Whitman was celebrating life throughout Song of Myself, I believe that Aldrich is also celebrating life by rejecting the notion of “pondering things that lay beyond” his “kin” and accepting the idea that a “still lovelier life awaits thee.” Ultimately, both poets, I believe, are suggesting that we (the reader) seize the moment. 

Which eye? No. Not those eyes, but rather I.

I believe Whitman’s Song of Myself provides the reader with tools to construct the identity of the poem’s speaker, Walt Whitman: or, conversely, begin to identify the elements that make up themselves as readers. The opening lines emotionally connect the reader to the “I” through a shared need to “celebrate” with “every atom” (4) of their being. This simple, subtle connection allows for the poem to be interpreted in numerous ways: specifically, the (I)deal America that Whitman is striving to create within the poem.  As a result, the matter of which “I” is being celebrated morphs into the project of cataloguing the ideal characteristics that the speaker engenders in both.

Evidence: “I am enamored of growing outdoors” (9). 

Expansion and the great outdoors arguably make up the backbone of Whitman’s Song of Myself. The speaker takes inventory of his observations in a manner similar to a cartographer sketching an early map of the United States of America.

Evidence: “I play not a march for victors only…I play great marches for conquered and slain persons” (12) & “In all people I see myself, none more and not one a barleycorn less” (14).

These passages provided me with explanations for several other passages I would encounter throughout the poem. I believe that this line is significant because it points to a sense of balance that must exist between reader and poet, man and country and mankind and earth.  

Evidence: “I become any presence or truth of humanity here” (30)

When the speaker makes this exertion, I interpret it to be a commentary on the need for fluidity regarding the state of mankind and the expanding United States. Just as the states were experiencing growth and expansion, man must also be open to growth and expansion of the mind. 

Tweet of The Week

The Wilmot Proviso and the policies it sought to make legal are are an extension of the oppressive conditions that permeated the southern region of the United States and ultimately led to Civil War. I believe that Northern politicians were well aware of the modus operandi that ole David Wilmot was operating in conjunction with when he crafted his legislation. How would Northerners know if the voting process was rigged or that blacks were not allowed to vote? Dave gave them the rope-a-dope. However, rather than continue to get slugged, Northerners balked at his ideas and southerners did too. I imagine skeptical Southerner thought "what of the negroes get to vote?" While Northerners wouldn't believe anything except currency.

I believe that this legislation connects with our reading by establishing a social milieu for Whitman. Whitman's consistent and persistent editing of the texts reflects the changing environment that he experienced. For me, Song of Myself represents a return to all things "Americana." Even the slave, who picks cotton, has a role to play and will be nursed to health and sent on his way by wonderful Walt Whitman.

Specimen Days

Nature and Democracy – Morality

I am not sure whether these entries follow a chronological order or not, but it seems that the title of this entry captures the entire essence of Whitman’s Song of Myself.  Much like Sandburg’s poem Chicago, Whitman catalogues the often-overlooked features of society as a whole. The workers, wives, and runaway slaves. My initial reading of the poem leads me to believe that Whitman seeks a balance between all things that inhabit earth. The first balance he mentions is that between the poet and the reader as he opens his poem by stating that “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (1). Similarly, Whitman begins this entry by exerting that “democracy most of all affiliates with the open air, is sunny and hardy and sane only with nature” (926). I believe that the openings the two texts reveal Whitman’s agenda. In Song of Myself, I believe Whitman is speaking to the individual man. Whereas, in the text from Specimen Days, I believe Whitman is addressing the collective identity of man: specifically, working-class men who are the backbone of his America.

Whitman goes on to demand rights for the working-class founders of his America by suggesting that they “must either be fibred, vitalized, by regular contact with out-door light and air and growths” (926). The duality of this passage mirrors the duality throughout Song of Myself.  Whitman could have been referring to workers-rights or becoming a vegan. Ultimately, Whitman reveals his goal as being “to bring people back from their persistent strayings and sickly abstractions” (926). I believe that Whitman sought to have readers of Song of Myself give glance to the simple but wonderful things that we overlook daily.  

Two Lines that Stuck in My Mind

W. Whitman Song of Myself

“Voices of the sexes and lusts….voices veiled, and I remove the veil / Voices indecent by me clarified and transfigured” (17).

Analysis of poetry and the finer details of the literary devices as a whole is probably my weakest area of study as a graduating English major. I chose to enroll in the Whitman class as an opportunity to gain insight on a poet who I believe makes poetry accessible while still defying accepted norms of poetry, such as the use of elevated language, to deliver a poem that has grown into what I believe captures the essence of Americana: namely, freedom.

When the speaker of the poem exerts that he embodies the “voices of the sexes and lusts….voices veiled, and I remove the veil” (17), I immediately connected it to my previous reading of W.E.B. Dubois’ opus Souls of Black Folk and the notion that being Black and being American are two opposing ideologies. Whitman attempts to deconstruct this notion by suggesting that he “see (s) and hear(s) the whole” (28). I believe that by making this assertion, amongst many similar others, Whitman is stating that he has fused the projected self-image and the actual image. Whereas the veil that Dubois hinted at served as obstacle that stood in the way of Blacks achieving the so-called “American dream,” Whitman claims to be able to lift that veil. Furthermore, in the utopian world of Song of Myself, Whitman claims to be able to take “voices indecent” and “by me (referring to himself) clarified and transfigured” (17). Wonderful Whitman translates the broken English of runaway slaves, nurses them back to health and can hear, see and relate to all things. Lets all assume the “Tebow” position!

Don’t get it twisted. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Whitman and his “high hopes.” In fact, if he were alive today, I’d bet dollars to donuts that President Obama would have him somewhere on his staff. Hope. Whitman provides a sense of hope in Song of Myself by suggesting that the poet is everyman. Obama used it as a platform to be elected as president of the United States. Ultimately, race is still a dividing factor in the United States despite how many people have read and supposedly been changed by Whitman’s poem. The same will be said following Obama’s presidency. However, we can all hope that things will change and we all will be able to sit back and observe, drink or draw leaves of grass.