This poem is a vast territory to explore, so don’t feel that you must capture it all in one reading. It will be useful to watch for echoes of earlier texts, especially in preparation for the final exam, so here are some questions to consider in preparation for class:
- What does Whitman’s poem reveal about his understanding of American identity?
- How does Whitman’s sense of self compare to the visions of self-reliance articulated by Emerson, Fuller, and Thoreau?
- How does Whitman’s view of others compare to Melville’s narrator? How might Whitman respond to Bartleby if he were a character in Melville’s story? What is Whitman suggesting about human relationships in this poem?
- One of Emerson’s ideas in “Self-Reliance” is the importance of inhabiting the present as fully as possible. Where do you see Whitman exploring this theme? How is his message distinct from Emerson’s?
- The publication date for our text is 1855. Some of the major historical issues we’ve discussed for this period include race relations and women’s rights. How does Whitman address these themes?
- What seems most distinctive about Whitman’s view of nature? How would you characterize his view of the natural world in relation to other authors we’ve read?
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