Essay on Religion in Walt Whitmans Literature - 976 Words

Religion in Walt Whitmans Literature Why should I pray? Why should I venerate and be ceremonious?#8230;#8230;I find no sweeter fat than sticks to my own bones. (pg 40)Nature and all of her wondrous facets, especially the human body, was Whitmans religion. Walt Whitman was indeed an intensely spiritual man in his own unconventional way. His epic classic Song of Myself demonstrates these attitudes of his, and in his view how the proverbial poet of his America should believe. Humanity yearns for spiritual fulfillment and Whitman believed that everything around us and even ourselves were walking testaments to what true ethereal life is. One of the reasons that Walt Whitman was so popular, was his lax treatment of such†¦show more content†¦Smile O voluptuous cool-breathd earth, Earth of the slumbering and liquid tress, earth of the departed sunset- earth of the mountainous misty-topt, earth of the vitreous pour of the full moon just tinged with blue#8230; (pg. 42) Whitman celebrates his love for the earth as one who has a conventional religion celebrates their love for what they believe in. All aspects are sacred of mother earth in the eyes of the poet, as are all facets of belief in the heart of a conventional religious person. Whitman express how great this love is that he feels for his planet by expressing himself unworthy of such greatness. Prodigal, you have given me love- therefore I to you give love, O unspeakable passionate love. (pg. 42) Whitman blatantly expresses himself almost to the point of being stale on how much the earth means to him. Looking past the almost cornieness of this statement, some very powerful messages can be derived from it. Mother earth to the poet, is loved more then words themselves can even express. This is such a powerful statement in this epic poem, because it expresses the reader that no matter how much the American poet should right he can never truly say what he wants to. Again, another blatant example of one of the many contradictions in the poetry of Whitman. He calls out everyone to express themselves on their true unequivocal loves, yet here he admits that no one is reallyShow MoreRelated Individuality in Whitmans Song of Myself Essay1260 Words   |  6 PagesIndividuality in Whitmans Song of Myself During a lecture in 1907, William James said the philosophy which is so important in each of us is not a technical matter; it is our more or less dumb sense of what life honestly means. It is only partly got from books; it is our individual way of just seeing and feeling the total push and pressure of the cosmos (Bartlett 546) Individuality has been a prevalent theme in every type of literature for quite some time. Whether it is a character discoveringRead MoreWalt Whitmans Influences1411 Words   |  6 PagesWalt Whitman’s influence to American Literary History After the Civil War, Walt Whitman realized that the American people were in need of their own identity. Therefore, he wrote the book â€Å"Leaves of Grass† with the goal of creating a literature piece that was authentic and organic to the United States in every sense. Whitman introduced to literature the idea of the â€Å"American Dream† and highlighted how important it was for the American people to develop their own identity. 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