Adam Creason - “Leaves of Grass” in Song of Myself

    Walt Whitman became famous for his poetry in the mid-late 19^th century. As a humanist, Whitman was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism as he utilized his own style of free verse poetry. As I read his poem, “Leaves of Grass” in his collection Song of Myself, I began to truly wonder what the hell I was reading. I was lost, confused, frustrated, and amazed at how many obscure words he used to describe any simple situation. However, as I continued to read and analyze his poem, taking it line by line, verse by verse, I began to follow the path that Whitman lays down for his readers. I began to be amazed, not by obscurity, but instead by how beautiful his language was in that it created a connection for the reader to the very concepts and beliefs he discussed.

                As Whitman leads us down his path, he makes it clear through his discussion of the “self” that the complete self is both physical and spiritual. One’s distinct quality and being is different from the selves of authors; however, all others can identify with him as everyone, and everything, is rooted from the same “grass”. He often uses “I” in a universal tone as it is part of the divine. It links us all together, while appreciating the unique value that each being holds.

                Whitman’s connection with nature is romantic and sensual. He believes nature and divine and an example of God. He believes that the universe is thus full of life and meaning, as he loves the earth, flora and fauna, the sea, and all other natural elements. The cosmos, according to Whitman, consists of living matter that has awareness and is full of life and filled with God. In other words, the cosmos is God, and God is the cosmos. Therefore, death and decay are unreal. When one dies, they live on forever as they live on in new life formed from one’s being. At its core, he believes man is nature’s child and that man and nature must never be separated.

                As I read Whitman for the better half of a semester, everyday I grew to appreciate his poetry more and more. Before Whitman, I had no real appreciation for poetry. As a history major with a minor in political science, I preferred stating opinions and/or facts concisely, followed by a well-constructed and informed argument with evidence. I was frustrated with the nature of poetry. However, I began to respect poetry and its meaning through Whitman. I realized that the very nature of poetry is what makes it beautiful. It attempts to connect the reader to the concept through such sensuous words and phrases. It is aimed to envelop new thoughts and perspectives of the reader. With Whitman, these new perspectives regarded nature. I began to realize that everyone and everything has its own unique value. At the same time, everything originates from the same thing. Everything is therefore inherently interconnected. Man and nature are inherently joined. And yet, each man, each animal, each plant is unique and serves a purpose for the environment. Reading Whitman truly urged me to think deeply about the relationship between man and nature. Realizing there is an inherent connection, yet with each having a divine and unique purpose, is probably the catalyst for which I took this class on Religion and Ecology.