Walt Whitman

By King Meera -

Glorifying Abraham Lincoln
<nationalism- eliminated slavery, ended racism in his day, Ghettysburg address- of the people, for the people, by the people>
Transcendentalist with twist- different categories for soul and self and all things (gender, sexuality irrelevant to him)
You are not a speck in this universe, you are the cosmos - you are the universe in ecstatic motion
Once you identify with the universe this way, everything else becomes menial
Whitman speaks of spiders, snakes, lizards etc- things of nature not considered beautiful were his topics
Leaves of grass- they appear uniform but each blade if measured will vary; metaphor for humanity, the singular race we belong to
Universal self---individual self
Colors (not racist) embody the multiplicity of mankind
Songs of myself- American self
God not with respect to religion but as a presence
Nothing is useless, mean, stupid, petty- everything has a role and is significant

WHITMAN
stanza 1 about spider
stanza 2 about soul

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
(marked - a map for soul searching, milestones in inward journey)
(stood isolated = DIY)
Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
(the New Land)
(Marked - antenaclasis - same word used in diff places with different meaning)

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
(dark imagery of ocean - fathom its vastness and depth (sense awe here) - represents difficulties, life, and endless possibilities)
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
(trying to connect to the world - understand it)
Till the bridge you need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossammer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my sou.

space vs place
basic survival instinct
inward journey

noiseless, patient - soothing, calm, patient, lulled, composed

marked stood explore launched unreeling speeding stand surrounded detached musing venturing throwing seeking connect forn hold fling catch

know when to isolate yourself

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