The way a person is brought up defines a good part of who they’ll grow up to be. Not to say that you can’t change or discover new things about yourself, but that upbringing gives you roots, whether positive or negative that plants your feet, firmly, on the ground you stand. This will follow you through-out your life as a guide in all decisions that you make and several of the paths you will take, which brings me to Whitman. The roots of his father and mother are also his roots, impressed on his brain, affecting his very thoughts. Being influenced by “The Society of Friends”, for a nice part of his young life, their principles became his anthem. As in most religions, there are splinter groups that break off from the roots and become their own denomination or sect of a religious group. I say this to inform you that not all Quakers have the same outlook on what they believe but two beliefs stand out for the most part. And they are: that a direct connection with The Divine is yours and yours alone. No one else can make that connection for you, like a priest, pastor, Imam or any other middleman. You must find the divine in you, a statement expressed by one of their founders, George Fox, who stated “Christ is come to teach his people himself”. And the other belief is living your life, openly expressing the first belief. This reminds me of a statement I once read that stated, “Walk in the sun as if the whole world can see you”. Don’t hide who you are or feel ashamed of the divine in you. Show it so that all who see you see me.

“I exist as I am, that is enough,

If no other in the world be aware I sit content,

And if each and all be aware I sit content.

Leaves of Grass, “Song of Myself” (48) Barnes and Noble Classics 2004

“And I know that the hand of God is the elderhand of my own,

And I know that the spirt of God is the eldest brother of my own,

And that all the men ever born are also my brothers….and the women my sisters and lovers,

And that a kelson of the creation is love;

leaves of Grass, “Song of Myself” (33) Barnes and Noble Classics 2004

Walt Whitmans biggest supporter Ralph Waldo Emerson was not directly a Quaker but his ideals and the circumstances of that time, Emerson saw himself seeing eye to eye with the Quakers beliefs and ideas. Emerson was the head of the transendentalist movement as well as a philosoper and poet. In that sense Emerson could have seen Walt Whitman as his brother, shareing the same cause, fighting the same fight, when many people didn’t want to hear the truth about themselves. That still exist today and you can see that people still don’t like to hear about themselves. And history proves that people will go to extremes to quite you.

Refer to “The Quaker influence in American Literature” by Howard W. Hintz 1965 (49-75)

 Form beginning to end Walt’s roots stayed with him. Through his ups and downs, even his dark side, if you want to call it that, Walt Whitman still held on to his roots and love of people.

The way a person is brought up defines a good part of who they’ll grow up to be. Not to say that you can’t change or discover new things about yourself, but that upbringing gives you roots, whether positive or negative that plants your feet, firmly, on the ground you stand. This will follow you through-out your life as a guide in all decisions that you make and several of the paths you will take, which brings me to Whitman. The roots of his father and mother are also his roots, impressed on his brain, affecting his very thoughts. Being influenced by “The Society of Friends”, for a nice part of his young life, their principles became his anthem. As in most religions, there are splinter groups that break off from the roots and become their own denomination or sect of a religious group. I say this to inform you that not all Quakers have the same outlook on what they believe but two beliefs stand out for the most part. And they are: that a direct connection with The Divine is yours and yours alone. No one else can make that connection for you, like a priest, pastor, Imam or any other middleman. You must find the divine in you, a statement expressed by one of their founders, George Fox, who stated “Christ is come to teach his people himself”. And the other belief is living your life, openly expressing the first belief. This reminds me of a statement I once read that stated, “Walk in the sun as if the whole world can see you”. Don’t hide who you are or feel ashamed of the divine in you. Show it so that all who see you see me.

“I exist as I am, that is enough,

If no other in the world be aware I sit content,

And if each and all be aware I sit content.

Leaves of Grass, “Song of Myself” (48) Barnes and Noble Classics 2004

“And I know that the hand of God is the elderhand of my own,

And I know that the spirt of God is the eldest brother of my own,

And that all the men ever born are also my brothers….and the women my sisters and lovers,

And that a kelson of the creation is love;

leaves of Grass, “Song of Myself” (33) Barnes and Noble Classics 2004

Walt Whitmans biggest supporter Ralph Waldo Emerson was not directly a Quaker but his ideals and the circumstances of that time, Emerson saw himself seeing eye to eye with the Quakers beliefs and ideas. Emerson was the head of the transendentalist movement as well as a philosoper and poet. In that sense Emerson could have seen Walt Whitman as his brother, shareing the same cause, fighting the same fight, when many people didn’t want to hear the truth about themselves. That still exist today and you can see that people still don’t like to hear about themselves. And history proves that people will go to extremes to quite you.

Refer to “The Quaker influence in American Literature” by Howard W. Hintz 1965 (49-75)

 Form beginning to end Walt’s roots stayed with him. Through his ups and downs, even his dark side, if you want to call it that, Walt Whitman still held on to his roots and love of people.

“The novel is of Franklin Evans who is the country mouse who comes to ruin in the wicked city. Led astray by evil companions, he takes one swig of wine in a tavern and sets himself on the downward path. As wine bibbing leads to harder stuff, the hapless Evans becomes a puppet of the demon rum. His forays into low dives and dance halls cost him his job, wreck his marriage, contribute to his saintly wife’s death, and quickly bring him to a life of petty crime.
Evans is a maddening protagonist, utterly lacking in will or initiative; he’s a sort of moral polyp afloat in a bottle. Even so, the course of his downfall isn’t completely predictable. As if to show how low drink can bring a man, Whitman has Evans move to Virginia where he falls in love with Margaret, a “creole” slave whom he marries but comes to hate. In her “swarthiness,” Margaret embodies sheer animal appetite; she personifies Evans’s own thirst for drink. Interestingly, she’s the only character who pulses with a semblance of life. Maddened by jealousy, “the wretched Creole” poisons the genteel Mrs. Conway, a luscious widow whom Evans wants to take as his mistress. These are the ugliest chapters in the novel, made more distasteful by Whitman’s shameless attempts to play on race for sensational effect. But this is, of course, a tale of redemption. Evans takes the temperance pledge. He ends up inheriting a fortune from a benefactor. Whitman’s moral is clear: Sobriety isn’t just virtuous, it can be lucrative too”. http://www.nysun.com/arts/dominion-of-the-liquor-fiend/61491/retrieved on 12-08-09

The stanza I chose has ran with me through-out this class, from the first time I read this stanza and I fell in love with it. I did most of my projects surrounding it as well as this. I did two videos in different rooms reading the same part of the poem. The reason I chose this location to read my poem is that I felt very alive and happy at this location. It reminded me of little scenes which I saw while reading Franklin Evans. The part with me in the bathroom I felt signifies me celebrating who I am and how times have changed. Whitman always spoke of “ I Am, You” which brought the reader closer to him, but after reading some of his work and biography, I felt as though in some ways he was not being true to himself and who he was. Franklin Evans seemed to be a part of him that he never spoke about, a part that never came out (unconscious part). Being in a stall was liberating, I felt a little like Franklin Evans experiencing alcohol. Just in a better way. The second scene was in a velvet dining room while having dinner and drinks, it reminded me of a reading we did of Charles Dickens when he came to NYC and spoke of it in terrible ways. The remembrance was of the ladies in their bright clothing, the red velvet room felt like that, it was like an evil room of uncertainties. Just like Franklin’s experiences in the city.
My video may be a little different due to the location, but this is where I found Whitman.

Where Nicole found Whitman! In a stall while having dinner.

nicole | MySpace Video

“The novel is of Franklin Evans who is the country mouse who comes to ruin in the wicked city. Led astray by evil companions, he takes one swig of wine in a tavern and sets himself on the downward path. As wine bibbing leads to harder stuff, the hapless Evans becomes a puppet of the demon rum. His forays into low dives and dance halls cost him his job, wreck his marriage, contribute to his saintly wife’s death, and quickly bring him to a life of petty crime.
Evans is a maddening protagonist, utterly lacking in will or initiative; he’s a sort of moral polyp afloat in a bottle. Even so, the course of his downfall isn’t completely predictable. As if to show how low drink can bring a man, Whitman has Evans move to Virginia where he falls in love with Margaret, a “creole” slave whom he marries but comes to hate. In her “swarthiness,” Margaret embodies sheer animal appetite; she personifies Evans’s own thirst for drink. Interestingly, she’s the only character who pulses with a semblance of life. Maddened by jealousy, “the wretched Creole” poisons the genteel Mrs. Conway, a luscious widow whom Evans wants to take as his mistress. These are the ugliest chapters in the novel, made more distasteful by Whitman’s shameless attempts to play on race for sensational effect. But this is, of course, a tale of redemption. Evans takes the temperance pledge. He ends up inheriting a fortune from a benefactor. Whitman’s moral is clear: Sobriety isn’t just virtuous, it can be lucrative too”. http://www.nysun.com/arts/dominion-of-th… on 12-08-09

The stanza I chose has ran with me through-out this class, from the first time I read this stanza and I fell in love with it. I did most of my projects surrounding it as well as this. I did two videos in different rooms reading the same part of the poem. The reason I chose this location to read my poem is that I felt very alive and happy at this location. It reminded me of little scenes which I saw while reading Franklin Evans. The part with me in the bathroom I felt signifies me celebrating who I am and how times have changed. Whitman always spoke of “ I Am, You” which brought the reader closer to him, but after reading some of his work and biography, I felt as though in some ways he was not being true to himself and who he was. Franklin Evans seemed to be a part of him that he never spoke about, a part that never came out (unconscious part). Being in a stall was liberating, I felt a little like Franklin Evans experiencing alcohol. Just in a better way. The second scene was in a velvet dining room while having dinner and drinks, it reminded me of a reading we did of Charles Dickens when he came to NYC and spoke of it in terrible ways. The remembrance was of the ladies in their bright clothing, the red velvet room felt like that, it was like an evil room of uncertainties. Just like Franklin’s experiences in the city.
My video may be a little different due to the location, but this is where I found Whitman.

Where Nicole found Whitman! In a stall while having dinner.

nicole | MySpace Video

O DROPS of me! trickle, slow drops,

O DROPS of me! trickle, slow drops,

The word “procession” first caught my attention as I was reading the “Children of Adam” cluster. In the song No.3 that will later become “I Sing the Body Electric” Whitman states that

All is a procession,

The universe is a procession, with measured and

beautiful motion.

This struck me as quite a somber word for a poem so vivid and full of life, since I associated it mainly with funeral processions. However, the poet obviously had something else on his mind…

As can be seen in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a procession is “ a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way” but also “continuous forward movement :PROGRESSION”.  Wikipedia defines the term as “an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner” and shows different functions of processions, as diverse as entertainment and political solidarity. Having in mind Whitman’s progressive ideas this choice of words fits perfectly into a poem celebrating the humankind, since it shows that “each has his or her place in the procession”, that everyone takes his or her part in the continuous advancement of the world.

The Calamus poem No. 18, however, puts the word into a slightly different context. The poem which is to be named “The City of Orgies” gives a vivid picture of the city, where “the processions in the streets” are presented between the images of “the ships at the wharves” and “the bright windows with goods in them”. Nevertheless, this colorful description of a city swarming with life is not what makes the poet joyous. Although mentioned in the last line, “lovers, continual lovers” occupy the central place in the poem and the procession of people now seems as just another spectacle that can be observed from a window. Since the Calamus poems tend to be more intimate than those from the Children of Adam cluster, I feel that by distancing himself from the procession, the poet distances himself from the crowd and turns to the individuals.

(Interestingly, the lines with “the procession” seem to be missing from the Barrett Collection manuscript of the poem)

The word “procession” first caught my attention as I was reading the “Children of Adam” cluster. In the song No.3 that will later become “I Sing the Body Electric” Whitman states that

All is a procession,

The universe is a procession, with measured and

beautiful motion.

This struck me as quite a somber word for a poem so vivid and full of life, since I associated it mainly with funeral processions. However, the poet obviously had something else on his mind…

As can be seen in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a procession is “ a group of individuals moving along in an orderly often ceremonial way” but also “continuous forward movement :PROGRESSION”.  Wikipedia defines the term as “an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner” and shows different functions of processions, as diverse as entertainment and political solidarity. Having in mind Whitman’s progressive ideas this choice of words fits perfectly into a poem celebrating the humankind, since it shows that “each has his or her place in the procession”, that everyone takes his or her part in the continuous advancement of the world.

The Calamus poem No. 18, however, puts the word into a slightly different context. The poem which is to be named “The City of Orgies” gives a vivid picture of the city, where “the processions in the streets” are presented between the images of “the ships at the wharves” and “the bright windows with goods in them”. Nevertheless, this colorful description of a city swarming with life is not what makes the poet joyous. Although mentioned in the last line, “lovers, continual lovers” occupy the central place in the poem and the procession of people now seems as just another spectacle that can be observed from a window. Since the Calamus poems tend to be more intimate than those from the Children of Adam cluster, I feel that by distancing himself from the procession, the poet distances himself from the crowd and turns to the individuals.

(Interestingly, the lines with “the procession” seem to be missing from the Barrett Collection manuscript of the poem)

This poem first grabbed my attention with Whitman’s use of Not at the beginning of each line, and ending the poem with a line that starts with the powerful word Need. While reading it (and re-reading it numerous times) I stumbled upon a word which we mentioned several times in our class session. Adhesiveness is referred in this poem as the pulse of the poets life. Being that he did not know how to give name to his feelings he borrowed a word from phrenology denoting same-sex friendships.

I went to the Merriam-Webster’s Online dictionary and found the term adhesiveness which, of course, has to do more with adhesive tape than with same-sex love.

This is a very powerful poem in which Whitman shows his dissatisfaction with the American non-tolerant society and his difficulty to express his new-found way of loving people.

P.S. I am not quite sure why there isn’t a copy of the manuscript page of this poem in the Barrett Manuscripts. If anyone manages to find one, be sure to “link me”. Thanks.

This poem first grabbed my attention with Whitman’s use of Not at the beginning of each line, and ending the poem with a line that starts with the powerful word Need. While reading it (and re-reading it numerous times) I stumbled upon a word which we mentioned several times in our class session. Adhesiveness is referred in this poem as the pulse of the poets life. Being that he did not know how to give name to his feelings he borrowed a word from phrenology denoting same-sex friendships.

I went to the Merriam-Webster’s Online dictionary and found the term adhesiveness which, of course, has to do more with adhesive tape than with same-sex love.

This is a very powerful poem in which Whitman shows his dissatisfaction with the American non-tolerant society and his difficulty to express his new-found way of loving people.

P.S. I am not quite sure why there isn’t a copy of the manuscript page of this poem in the Barrett Manuscripts. If anyone manages to find one, be sure to “link me”. Thanks.

According to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the live oak is any of several American evergreen oaks noted for its extremely hard tough durable wood. You could say that it’s a powerful symbol of strength and you wouldn’t be mistaken. But if I asked someone from Texas what live oak means to him, I would probably get an answer: “Beer!”

Since most people from Serbia are not acquainted to the finest beers of the North American continent, an average Serbian would just shrug his shoulders to the same question. What was interesting for me was the fact that it is not like any oak I have ever seen around here. Its massive structure is impressing, but what is even more interesting is the moss growing on the trees giving them a striking appearance.

(Ancient live oak trees in Georgia)

“I saw in Louisiana a live-oak growing,

All alone stood it and the moss hung down from the branches,

Without any companion it grew there uttering joyous leaves of dark green,

And its look, rude, unbending, lusty, made me think of myself,

But I wonder’d how it could utter joyous leaves standing alone there without its lover near—for I knew I could not.

And I broke off a twig with a certain number of leaves upon it, and twined around it a little moss,

And brought it away—and I have placed it in sight in my room,

It is not needed to remind me as of my own dear friends,

(For I believe lately I think of little else than of them,)

Yet it remains to me a curious token—it makes me think of manly love;

For all that, and though the live-oak glistens there in Louisiana solitary in a wide flat space,

Uttering joyous leaves all its life without a friend, a lover near,

I know very well I could not.”

(Calamus, 1860)

Whitman speaks of a tree that is alone, solitary, isolated in Louisiana without a lover near.  There lies a different, more homoerotic aspect behind the lines, besides mere solitude. He mentions that the oak reminds him of manly love, of a person who is waiting for his lover and even the branches look rude and lusty to him. Indicative enough…

According to the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the live oak is any of several American evergreen oaks noted for its extremely hard tough durable wood. You could say that it’s a powerful symbol of strength and you wouldn’t be mistaken. But if I asked someone from Texas what live oak means to him, I would probably get an answer: “Beer!”

Since most people from Serbia are not acquainted to the finest beers of the North American continent, an average Serbian would just shrug his shoulders to the same question. What was interesting for me was the fact that it is not like any oak I have ever seen around here. Its massive structure is impressing, but what is even more interesting is the moss growing on the trees giving them a striking appearance.

(Ancient live oak trees in Georgia)

“I saw in Louisiana a live-oak growing,

All alone stood it and the moss hung down from the branches,

Without any companion it grew there uttering joyous leaves of dark green,

And its look, rude, unbending, lusty, made me think of myself,

But I wonder’d how it could utter joyous leaves standing alone there without its lover near—for I knew I could not.

And I broke off a twig with a certain number of leaves upon it, and twined around it a little moss,

And brought it away—and I have placed it in sight in my room,

It is not needed to remind me as of my own dear friends,

(For I believe lately I think of little else than of them,)

Yet it remains to me a curious token—it makes me think of manly love;

For all that, and though the live-oak glistens there in Louisiana solitary in a wide flat space,

Uttering joyous leaves all its life without a friend, a lover near,

I know very well I could not.”

(Calamus, 1860)

Whitman speaks of a tree that is alone, solitary, isolated in Louisiana without a lover near.  There lies a different, more homoerotic aspect behind the lines, besides mere solitude. He mentions that the oak reminds him of manly love, of a person who is waiting for his lover and even the branches look rude and lusty to him. Indicative enough…

IN paths untrodden, 

In the growth by margins of pond-waters, 

Escaped from the life that exhibits itself, 

From all the standards hitherto published—from

         the pleasures, profits, conformities,

(Calamus, 1860)

Here, of all words I have highlighted one that is by no means unusual or unknown to me, and it was completely in its place to me when I first read the poem. Indeed, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides the following definition of the word margin:

Margin – technical or literary – the edge of something, especially an area of land or water

This definition of the word margin fits the context of the poem perfectly and gives no reason to ponder over the possibility of some deeper, hidden meaning of the word. Still, something was a bit awkward about that particular choice of words that made me push my way a little deeper in the word itself. Therefore, I wondered, apart from the very clear and appropriate denotation of the word in question, which connotation of the same word can be applied to the same context to produce just as legitimate interpretation, and several ideas emerged.

Firstly, the word margin can have a very strong negative connotation as in social marginalization, and if read this way, the poem acquires a new level of reading which made sense, especially if we consider that the passage is from the Calamus 1, the first (introductory?) poem of the Calamus cluster, which was more than radical at the time it was published in 1860. Given that some poems of the Calamus are somewhat radical even today, 150 years later, it is justified to claim that Whitman himself was well aware that his poetry will be marginalized, that it will not be accepted nor understood for generations to come. Indeed, later throughout the Calamus poems, there exist several instances in which Whitman “speaks” of and to generations to come, and puts his faith in them (us?) to really read his poetry with much less prejudice and much more open-mindedness. I have tried to imagine what was it like for someone to write the poetry such as the Leaves of Grass in the mid nineteenth century, and I could not find a way how that someone could not be marginalized, how they could be properly understood by more than a dozen equally talented and equally misunderstood people.

Furthermore, thinking about this negative idea of margin, one another possibility came to my mind which is related with the previously discussed interpretation of the word. One of the basic meanings of the word margin is the blank space on one side of the paper where one can take notes. Now, if we expand and deepen this definition to fit the entire body of works of Walt Whitman, we might claim that the use of the word margin here indicates Whitman’s realization that when a new kind of poetry is to be born, and especially if it springs from a philosophical and moral system radically different from the existing one, it has no other place available to be written on than on margins of literature. And only after the supporting social and cultural systems change, the new poetry will be allowed to shift from margins to a more central position in literature. So could it be that Whitman was aware that his poetry will inevitably have to spend its share of time on the margin, but still carried on knowing that one day, just as inevitably, it will be appreciated by the multitudes?

These two interpretations of the word margin might be my reading in into the poem, but I still would like to provide one other proof of my readings of the poem. Namely, one other word used in the poem supports my readings – the word standards. These can be standards of what is considered good or appropriate by a society, supporting my first interpretation, but can also stand as the centre, as opposed to the margin, which is then consistent with my second interpretation. Then again, I could be completely wrong.

IN paths untrodden, 

In the growth by margins of pond-waters, 

Escaped from the life that exhibits itself, 

From all the standards hitherto published—from

         the pleasures, profits, conformities,

(Calamus, 1860)

Here, of all words I have highlighted one that is by no means unusual or unknown to me, and it was completely in its place to me when I first read the poem. Indeed, the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English provides the following definition of the word margin:

Margin – technical or literary – the edge of something, especially an area of land or water

This definition of the word margin fits the context of the poem perfectly and gives no reason to ponder over the possibility of some deeper, hidden meaning of the word. Still, something was a bit awkward about that particular choice of words that made me push my way a little deeper in the word itself. Therefore, I wondered, apart from the very clear and appropriate denotation of the word in question, which connotation of the same word can be applied to the same context to produce just as legitimate interpretation, and several ideas emerged.

Firstly, the word margin can have a very strong negative connotation as in social marginalization, and if read this way, the poem acquires a new level of reading which made sense, especially if we consider that the passage is from the Calamus 1, the first (introductory?) poem of the Calamus cluster, which was more than radical at the time it was published in 1860. Given that some poems of the Calamus are somewhat radical even today, 150 years later, it is justified to claim that Whitman himself was well aware that his poetry will be marginalized, that it will not be accepted nor understood for generations to come. Indeed, later throughout the Calamus poems, there exist several instances in which Whitman “speaks” of and to generations to come, and puts his faith in them (us?) to really read his poetry with much less prejudice and much more open-mindedness. I have tried to imagine what was it like for someone to write the poetry such as the Leaves of Grass in the mid nineteenth century, and I could not find a way how that someone could not be marginalized, how they could be properly understood by more than a dozen equally talented and equally misunderstood people.

Furthermore, thinking about this negative idea of margin, one another possibility came to my mind which is related with the previously discussed interpretation of the word. One of the basic meanings of the word margin is the blank space on one side of the paper where one can take notes. Now, if we expand and deepen this definition to fit the entire body of works of Walt Whitman, we might claim that the use of the word margin here indicates Whitman’s realization that when a new kind of poetry is to be born, and especially if it springs from a philosophical and moral system radically different from the existing one, it has no other place available to be written on than on margins of literature. And only after the supporting social and cultural systems change, the new poetry will be allowed to shift from margins to a more central position in literature. So could it be that Whitman was aware that his poetry will inevitably have to spend its share of time on the margin, but still carried on knowing that one day, just as inevitably, it will be appreciated by the multitudes?

These two interpretations of the word margin might be my reading in into the poem, but I still would like to provide one other proof of my readings of the poem. Namely, one other word used in the poem supports my readings – the word standards. These can be standards of what is considered good or appropriate by a society, supporting my first interpretation, but can also stand as the centre, as opposed to the margin, which is then consistent with my second interpretation. Then again, I could be completely wrong.

1. Middle French camarade group of soldiers sleeping in one room, roommate, companion;

2. One that shares the same sleeping quarters as another;

2.a. One that shares the same fortunes or experiences as another: intimate friend;

2.b. Companion

2.c. Comrade-in-arms (his fallen comrades)

3. Communist

I was intrigued by an image denoting something military, obedient to rules and commands, a strict pro-regime system,  but also denoting love, intimacy, devotion, affection and sharing, all along paths untrodden, forbidden, disdained and unaccepted.

WORKS CITED:

“comrade” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1993.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass: First and “Death-Bed” Editions. New York: Barnes& Noble Books, 2004.

1. Middle French camarade group of soldiers sleeping in one room, roommate, companion;

2. One that shares the same sleeping quarters as another;

2.a. One that shares the same fortunes or experiences as another: intimate friend;

2.b. Companion

2.c. Comrade-in-arms (his fallen comrades)

3. Communist

I was intrigued by an image denoting something military, obedient to rules and commands, a strict pro-regime system,  but also denoting love, intimacy, devotion, affection and sharing, all along paths untrodden, forbidden, disdained and unaccepted.

WORKS CITED:

“comrade” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary Unabridged. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster Inc., 1993.

Whitman, Walt. Leaves of Grass: First and “Death-Bed” Editions. New York: Barnes& Noble Books, 2004.

the dried grass of the harvest-time loads the slow-drawn wagon,

the clear light plyas on the brown gray and green intertinged,

the arm fuls are packed to the sagging mow.”

(pg36whitman(leaves))

(gettyimages.com)

I study architecture, and when someone mentions any type of structure or building i picture it in my head, on page 36 of leaves of grass, Whitman is describing  big barn doors of a country-barn, i picture the image above. barns have always been a certain shape; big massive doors, large sloping roof, and mostly made of wood. when i read Whitman and picture the place he is speaking about i am transported there and visualize the event as a movie.

the dried grass of the harvest-time loads the slow-drawn wagon,

the clear light plyas on the brown gray and green intertinged,

the arm fuls are packed to the sagging mow.”

(pg36whitman(leaves))

 gettyimages.com)

I study architecture, and when someone mentions any type of structure or building i picture it in my head, on page 36 of leaves of grass, Whitman is describing  big barn doors of a country-barn, i picture the image above. barns have always been a certain shape; big massive doors, large sloping roof, and mostly made of wood. when i read Whitman and picture the place he is speaking about i am transported there and visualize the event as a movie.

I will not have a single person slighted or left away,
The keptwoman and sponger and thief are hereby invited
. . . . the heavy-lipped slave is invited . . . . the veneralee is invited,
There shall be no difference between them and the rest. (Whitman 44)

~*~*~*~*~

After looking through a couple of variations of “kept woman” on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), I was not successful. However, when I typed in “kept,” here is what showed up:

kept, ppl. a.

In various senses derived from KEEP v.; spec.    

1. a. Maintained or supported by a paramour. Also of a man or boy maintained or supported in a homosexual relationship.
b. Financially supported by, and in consequence under the private control of, interested persons.

 So what exactly is a kept woman?

According to thefreedictionary.com, a kept woman is “an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man” (“kept woman”). In other words, this individual is someone who smooches off another financially (most likely through a sexual relationship). Therefore, this goes back to definition b of the OED.

~*~*~*~*~

Most interestingly enough, I thought this was perfect for one of the readings we had to do for our class: “Woman as a Theme in Whitman’s Writing“. This article by Sherry Ceniza speaks about the different voices that spoke out during Whitman’s time through 19th century women’s perspectives. Some praised Whitman’s representation of women of “the new woman, the democratic woman” in his writings (Ceniza 797); however, a few criticized him for his “lack of representation of woman working outside the home” (Ceniza 798). Still,the author claims that during Whitman’s time, “[t]hough Whitman’s representation of women in his writing is not consistently in touch with contemporary feminism, it must be put into its historical perspective;” “it is difficult to view Whitman’s literary representation of women as anything but positive” (Ceniza 797). So far, my take on this is neutral. Though I agree with Ceniza in some aspects, on the other note, I can’t say wholeheartedly that Whitman wasn’t biased towards women in every line of his works. Often times, he does portray women with a condescending overtone using specific diction or descriptions of women. For instance, in the Children of Adam poems, “A Woman Waits for Me,” Whitman makes women sound like some sort of baby-machines.

 Then, going back to my image gloss of a kept woman, Whitman is saying that even kept women are valued as equals. “There shall be no difference between them and the rest”. But if you think about it, what made me curious was his linking of kept women with spongers, thiefs, and heavy-lipped slaves. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but what may have been Whitman’s intention of grouping these individuals together?

Here are some interesting things I found on the web:

Want to become a kept woman? Transform Me!

 

“kept woman.”  The Free Dictionary.  Princeton University, Farlex Inc.  2003-2008  <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kept+woman>.

I will not have a single person slighted or left away,
The keptwoman and sponger and thief are hereby invited
. . . . the heavy-lipped slave is invited . . . . the veneralee is invited,
There shall be no difference between them and the rest. (Whitman 44)

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After looking through a couple of variations of “kept woman” on the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), I was not successful. However, when I typed in “kept,” here is what showed up:

kept, ppl. a.

In various senses derived from KEEP v.; spec.    

1. a. Maintained or supported by a paramour. Also of a man or boy maintained or supported in a homosexual relationship.
b. Financially supported by, and in consequence under the private control of, interested persons.

 So what exactly is a kept woman?

According to thefreedictionary.com, a kept woman is “an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man” (”kept woman”). In other words, this individual is someone who smooches off another financially (most likely through a sexual relationship). Therefore, this goes back to definition b of the OED.

~*~*~*~*~

Most interestingly enough, I thought this was perfect for one of the readings we had to do for our class: “Woman as a Theme in Whitman’s Writing“. This article by Sherry Ceniza speaks about the different voices that spoke out during Whitman’s time through 19th century women’s perspectives. Some praised Whitman’s representation of women of “the new woman, the democratic woman” in his writings (Ceniza 797); however, a few criticized him for his “lack of representation of woman working outside the home” (Ceniza 798). Still,the author claims that during Whitman’s time, “[t]hough Whitman’s representation of women in his writing is not consistently in touch with contemporary feminism, it must be put into its historical perspective;” “it is difficult to view Whitman’s literary representation of women as anything but positive” (Ceniza 797). So far, my take on this is neutral. Though I agree with Ceniza in some aspects, on the other note, I can’t say wholeheartedly that Whitman wasn’t biased towards women in every line of his works. Often times, he does portray women with a condescending overtone using specific diction or descriptions of women. For instance, in the Children of Adam poems, “A Woman Waits for Me,” Whitman makes women sound like some sort of baby-machines.

 Then, going back to my image gloss of a kept woman, Whitman is saying that even kept women are valued as equals. “There shall be no difference between them and the rest”. But if you think about it, what made me curious was his linking of kept women with spongers, thiefs, and heavy-lipped slaves. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but what may have been Whitman’s intention of grouping these individuals together?

Here are some interesting things I found on the web:

Want to become a kept woman? Transform Me!

 

“kept woman.”  The Free Dictionary.  Princeton University, Farlex Inc.  2003-2008  <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kept+woman>.

scrofula

Did you fear some scrofula out of the unflagging pregnancy? p.48 “Song of Myself”.

“Scrofula” (AKA King’s Evil) historically referred to a type of tuberculosis that affects the lymph glands of the neck. Today there is disagreement among medical professionals about its relationship to tuberculosis.  The word is adapted from the latin scrofa meaning “female swine”,  which was once thought to be the origin of the disease. In medieval times, scrofula was called the “King’s Evil.” It was believed that the touch of the King of France or England could the cure the disease. Scrofula was common in Whitman’s time but very rare today due to the near eradication of tuberculosis.

This is one of Whitman’s nastier lines and a welcome contrast to his universal warm and fuzzy side (he would have the loved “E”-popping rave culture of the early 1990s). It’s a rhetorical question in the vein of the Joker asking,  “have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?”  Its context in the poem is interesting and brings up more questions than answers. Did the mother fear getting scrofula or giving birth to scrofula? By scrofula, does he mean the disease or the sow from which it supposedly came?  Whitman’s having a little fun with this vagueness. I think this is an example of him being the poet of wickedness that he referred to earlier on the same page. But it fits into his universal vision—who we are and what we give birth to is all the same.

WORKS CITED

“scrofula” Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2009 <http://dictionary.oed.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/>.

Whitman, Walt. “Song of Myself (1855).” Whitman Poetry & Prose. Library of America, 1996. 48.

Image : Absolute Astronomy collection, photographer, date unknown <http://images.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/s/sc/scrofula.jpg >.

scrofula

Did you fear some scrofula out of the unflagging pregnancy? p.48 “Song of Myself”.

“Scrofula” (AKA King’s Evil) historically referred to a type of tuberculosis that affects the lymph glands of the neck. Today there is disagreement among medical professionals about its relationship to tuberculosis.  The word is adapted from the latin scrofa meaning “female swine”,  which was once thought to be the origin of the disease. In medieval times, scrofula was called the “King’s Evil.” It was believed that the touch of the King of France or England could the cure the disease. Scrofula was common in Whitman’s time but very rare today due to the near eradication of tuberculosis.

This is one of Whitman’s nastier lines and a welcome contrast to his universal warm and fuzzy side (he would have the loved “E”-popping rave culture of the early 1990s). It’s a rhetorical question in the vein of the Joker asking,  “have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?”  Its context in the poem is interesting and brings up more questions than answers. Did the mother fear getting scrofula or giving birth to scrofula? By scrofula, does he mean the disease or the sow from which it supposedly came?  Whitman’s having a little fun with this vagueness. I think this is an example of him being the poet of wickedness that he referred to earlier on the same page. But it fits into his universal vision—who we are and what we give birth to is all the same.

WORKS CITED

“scrofula” Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2009 <http://dictionary.oed.com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/>.

Whitman, Walt. “Song of Myself (1855).” Whitman Poetry & Prose. Library of America, 1996. 48.

Image : Absolute Astronomy collection, photographer, date unknown <http://images.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/s/sc/scrofula.jpg >.

A persimmion is known as “the fruit of the Gods” and is found on many species of trees in the ebony wood family. The name comes Powhatan, which is an Algonquian language and means “a dry fruit”.  In chinese medicine, persimmions are used to regulate ch’i.

I just thought that it was interesting that Whitman would include the fruit of the Gods in his poem that is so saturated with his own egotism. However, I don’t necessarily think that his egotism is a bad thing in his work, I think that it would be more accurate to say that he is celebrating himself and suggesting that we celebrate our own selves as well. It’s just interesting to see the kind’s of things that he manages to slip into his work that we might, more often that not, overlook.

A persimmion is known as “the fruit of the Gods” and is found on many species of trees in the ebony wood family. The name comes Powhatan, which is an Algonquian language and means “a dry fruit”.  In chinese medicine, persimmions are used to regulate ch’i.

I just thought that it was interesting that Whitman would include the fruit of the Gods in his poem that is so saturated with his own egotism. However, I don’t necessarily think that his egotism is a bad thing in his work, I think that it would be more accurate to say that he is celebrating himself and suggesting that we celebrate our own selves as well. It’s just interesting to see the kind’s of things that he manages to slip into his work that we might, more often that not, overlook.

Walt Whitman may have confused many of his readers the first few times they’ve read his poems.  Considering his work was never meant to be read fast. I feel as if it was meant to be read slow and comprehensive. In “Song of Myself” he constantly switches roles between an advice giver, a very demanding person and a confused individual. Many times in the poem he makes himself feel higher than all gods possible. In the 19Th century the Church was the most powerful source. However, when Whitman was being the “advice giver” he told his reader and himself that they have to look at themselves as something higher than that. He took quite a risk writing those lined above in his poems but that was how he was able to get his message across. I chose this image because its a photo of a church in the 19Th century in Brooklyn Heights where Whitman grew up.

Walt Whitman may have confused many of his readers the first few times they’ve read his poems.  Considering his work was never meant to be read fast. I feel as if it was meant to be read slow and comprehensive. In “Song of Myself” he constantly switches roles between an advice giver, a very demanding person and a confused individual. Many times in the poem he makes himself feel higher than all gods possible. In the 19Th century the Church was the most powerful source. However, when Whitman was being the “advice giver” he told his reader and himself that they have to look at themselves as something higher than that. He took quite a risk writing those lined above in his poems but that was how he was able to get his message across. I chose this image because its a photo of a church in the 19Th century in Brooklyn Heights where Whitman grew up.

I hear the chorus—it is a grand opera;  Ah, this indeed is music! This suits me.

A tenor large and fresh as the creation fills me;  The orbic flex of his mouth is pouring and filling me full.

I hear the train’d soprano—(what work, with hers, is this?) 600 The orchestra whirls me wider than Uranus flies;  It wrenches such ardors from me, I did not know I possess’d them;  It sails me—I dab with bare feet—they are lick’d by the indolent waves;  I am exposed, cut by bitter and angry hail—I lose my breath,  Steep’d amid honey’d morphine, my windpipe throttled in fakes of death; 605 At length let up again to feel the puzzle of puzzles,  And that we call BEING.

The reason why i chose this about singing and the opera is because i love it myself. i was born into the world of music. I myself am a soprano singing so the sound makes me feel good. its hard to describe.  so I hope this piece from Vitas does the same.

Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,

Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,

Not asking the sky to come down to my goodwill,

Scattering it freely forever.

The pure contralto sins in the organloft…”

-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (1855) p. 39

Contralto refers to the deepest singing voice a woman can have and is in between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano in terms of range. Contralto singers are usually referenced in terms of Opera even  though they are rarely used since most female parts call for much higher singing voice. When contralto singers are used they are typically given the parts that were originally intended for castrato singers.

The use of this reference gives a very dramatic feel to the stanzas which surround it while also giving some sexual ambiguity. The fact that most contralto singers sing the parts of castrated men gives an odd picture of sexuality and identity which it seems Whitman was a huge fan of . Furthermore, If you listen to a contralto singer singing something like “Ebarma Dich” while reading through the bottom of page thirty eight and thirty nine you get a a feeling of somber happiness. I feel that this audio helps to give another dimension to the many images that Whitman presents to us in Song Of Myself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Me going in for my chances, spending for vast returns,

Adorning myself to bestow myself on the first that will take me,

Not asking the sky to come down to my goodwill,

Scattering it freely forever.

The pure contralto sins in the organloft…”

-Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (1855) p. 39

Contralto refers to the deepest singing voice a woman can have and is in between a tenor and a mezzo-soprano in terms of range. Contralto singers are usually referenced in terms of Opera even  though they are rarely used since most female parts call for much higher singing voice. When contralto singers are used they are typically given the parts that were originally intended for castrato singers.

The use of this reference gives a very dramatic feel to the stanzas which surround it while also giving some sexual ambiguity. The fact that most contralto singers sing the parts of castrated men gives an odd picture of sexuality and identity which it seems Whitman was a huge fan of . Furthermore, If you listen to a contralto singer singing something like “Ebarma Dich” while reading through the bottom of page thirty eight and thirty nine you get a a feeling of somber happiness. I feel that this audio helps to give another dimension to the many images that Whitman presents to us in Song Of Myself.

Magnifying and applying come I,
Outbidding at the start the old cautious hucksters,
Taking myself the exact dimensions of Jehovah,
Lithographing Kronos, Zeus his son, and Hercules his grandson,
Buying drafts of Osiris, Isis, Belus, Brahma, Buddha,
In my portfolio placing Manito loose, Allah on a leaf, the crucifix
engraved,

-Section 41 of Song of Myself (Audio)

Main Entry: li·thog·ra·phy

Image by Andy Warhol definition by Webster