"Songs of Myself" by Walt Whitman
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. How do these lines reflect the poet's general style?
They show the poem's relaxed, candid tone.
Which statement best describes the way the sections in the excerpt from "Song of Myself" are constructed?
They show unique sides of a universal worldview.
How do the images of travel in part 46 of "Song of Myself" contribute to the poem's theme?
They suggest expansiveness, or extending one's reach outward.
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." You will hardly know who I am or what I mean, But I shall be good health to you nevertheless, And filter and fibre your blood. Why does Whitman use such a simple phrase as "who I am or what I mean"?
He wants to communicate directly with readers.
The sections of "Song of Myself" approach one subject from several different angles. How does this technique reflect the main theme of the poem?
It corresponds to the idea that the self is all-encompassing.
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." I know I have the best of time and space, and was never measured and never will be measured. How does this line support the theme of the poem?
It reflects Whitman's ideas about the capacity of the human spirit.
Which statement best describes the theme of "Song of Myself"?
There is room for many experiences and, indeed, selves within one self.
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." I depart as air, I shake my white locks at the runaway sun, I effuse my flesh in eddies, and drift it in lacy jags. How do the words "effuse" and "drift" affect the tone of the second line?
They give the actions described a feeling of importance.
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." It is not far, it is within reach, Perhaps you have been on it since you were born and did not know, Perhaps it is everywhere on water and on land. Shoulder your duds dear son, and I will mine, and let us hasten forth, Wonderful cities and free nations we shall fetch as we go. In this quotation, the first stanza has a different style from the second section. What does this suggest about Whitman's overall style in the poem?
that Whitman's style allows for various kinds of language
Read the quotation from "Song of Myself." I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. Which statement best explains why Whitman chose the phrase "every atom" for the last line?
to emphasize the seriousness of his words