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1、 Self theme in Leaves of GrassLv TingAbstract: The theme about “self” of Whitmans Leaves of Grass runs through from beginning to end. It is also the concept, which not ignored on studying Leaves of Grass. Whitmans “self” is out of ordinary, which is different from the categories of history, literatu
2、re, psychology and so on. It includes three meanings they are “the individual self”, “the American self” and “the universal self”. Although these three “self” make a whole part by them individually, and they shouldnt be cut apart because each “self” has their own specificities. In Leaves of Grass, W
3、hitman tends to provide his readers with an utmost range to broaden their perception of the Self. There three “self” contradict each other, but at the same time, they add to each other so that they consists the Leaves of Grass we see today. Key words: Walt Whitman; Leaves of Grass; the individual se
4、lf; the American self; the universal self.1. IntroductionWalt Whitman (1819-1892) is both a very famous poet and outstanding humanist of America. He is essentially a poet, though other aspects of his achievement as philosopher, music, or critic have also stressed. We all know that his Leaves of Gras
5、s, which published in 1855, is his huge achievement in his whole life. He still thinks of his Leaves of Grass as his valuable life. In addition, as far as he knew, his poetry will bore; grow up and ripe with his action. Leaves of Grass got though eight revising from 1855 to 1892 the year when Whitma
6、n was dead. Therefore, his works expands 12 to morn than 400 because of the eight revisions. His Leaves of Grass that filled with Whitmans lifetime painstaking effort, which was sneered at badly by American literary world at that time. At that old time, Emerson is the only one who still supported Wh
7、itman, and he said, “Whitman is beginning a great undertaking. Because Leaves of Grass is out of the common and a huge contribution in American literary up to now.” However, today it becomes one of the famousness literatures in American literary history. Moreover, it translated by all kinds of langu
8、age. Therefore, Whitman also becomes one of the hottest writers. Whitman is a poet who loves to sing the praises of “the self”, and so Leaves of Grass is poetry like this. However, it is not an occasional event. Because Emerson had been designed ideal figure for American poet in his Poet. Then Emers
9、on encouraged American poet got rid of the old European tradition in his American scholar. Whitmans poetry response to Emersons appeal intensely. He recognized that if they would expand the area of American poem, they must get the true meanings about “the self”. The self-theme runs through Whitmans
10、Leaves of Grass from beginning to end. Nevertheless, his “self” is not only point to somebody, he want to express the rhythm of lives through “the self” at every time. The critics in accordance with self are the collection of the body and the spirit. As far as I known, Whitmans “the self” not limite
11、d in this field. I believe “the self” includes three points they are “the individual self”, “the American self” and “the universal self”. These three live with each other. Anyway, Leaves of Grass is like an encyclopedia of American life, which really deserves further research.Tian Han first introduc
12、ed Whitman into China in 1919. He published an article 100-year Anniversary of Civilian poet Whitman in 1917, which evaluated highly Whitmans thoughts and poetry. In this article, Tian Han talks about Whitmans democratic view and American spirit. He also talks about free verse and American Renaissan
13、ce, and believes that the rise of Chinese free verse is under the influence of Whitmans poet.This essay I will talk about the three “self” and the relation between them. 2. The Individual SelfIn his Leaves of Grass, Whitman concern is to explore discusses, and celebrates his own Self, his individual
14、ity and his personality. For Whitman, the Individual Self comprises two parts- the bodily self and the spiritual life. At that time, his idea is a huge surprise to the American literary field. Because most people figured that, the soul is more divine than the body. Therefore, his idea is different f
15、rom many other predecessors in literary and philosophical fields especially different from Descartes, who believes that spirit lies at a higher level than body; Whitman thinks that they are of the same significance in the construction of the individual self. He gives fresh and spirit equal billing.
16、Only through the union of these two elements, can one truly integrate the Individual Self.2.1 Bodily SelfWhitman is the first American writer who speaks highly of the body. He worships the material body, no matter male or female. Moreover, he loves the body and many kinds of functions of bodies. Peo
17、ples body makes him more excited than other things. In his mind, nothing is more holy than peoples body. In his, I Sing the Body Electric: “If any thing is sacred the human body is sacred. And the glory and sweet of a man is the token of manhood untainted,And in man or woman a clean, strong, firm-fi
18、bred body, Is more beautiful than the most beautiful face.”In Whitmans opinion, in the structure of “the individual self”, body is as important as soul. He also spoke highly of sex fearlessly. Because he was influenced by the development of biology in 19th century, Whitman realizes that the importan
19、ce of healthy sex. In the fifth part of his Song of Myself, the author regards the perfect relation between the body and the soul as the combination of sex.2.2 Spiritual SelfTo Whitman, the complete the Individual Self is both physical and spirited. In his Song of Myself, Whitman said, “I have said
20、that the soul is not more than the body. And I have said that the body is not more than the soul”. So at the same time Whitman was speaking highly of the “body self”, he also paid much attention to the “soul self” eagerly. Although he holds that the body is source of the soul, he mains, “the sprit r
21、eceives from the body just as much as it gives to the body.” Leaves of Grass verified Whitmans faith of “the spirit self”. He hopes that at first they touch a body self and through reading his poetry they can touch his soul, which is omnipresence when the readers was reading his Leaves of Grass. His
22、 spirit self is “sweet and fresh” including all kinds of qualities. Although there are some evil elements in the spirit self, the author does not mind to be an evil poet. Whitman writes about his experience in Crossing Brookgn Ferry, to express his understanding of the complex fiber of the human spi
23、rit, including even evil thoughts: “Nor is it you alone who knew what it is to be evil, I am he, who knew what it was to be evil. I too knitted the old knot of contrariety.” He has a large amount of confidence about the spirit self. Moreover, in his mind the spirit self is developing constantly. The
24、 spirit self of Leaves of Grass get cleaning and rising in nature.In Sony of Myself as well as many other poem in Leaves of Grass, the spiritual Self, the bodily Self, men and women and Leaves, all affect each other, but none wield power over another as a hierarchical relationship would suggest. The
25、 spiritual Self should not humble itself before the “other”, just as the “other” does not wield power over the soul. Moreover, for Whitman, the spiritual Self is holy from beginning to end soul is beyond all religions “Divine am I, inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touched from.”2.3 Union o
26、f Bodily Self and Spiritual SelfAs a preacher who extols body and soul highly, Whitman believed that body was equal to soul and they could not to separate. The spirit selfs source is the body self. We can only know more about humans spirit though researching humans bodies. When Whitman extols the “s
27、elf”, in fact he is extolling the perfect combination of the spirit self and the body self. To Whitman, everything in the whole world is as holy as humans spirit, so humans bodies are as holy as humans spirit. When he was singing a song about humans bodies, he was also singing a song about humans so
28、ul. In his Song of Myself, Whitman always emphasized the equal importance of the body and the soul. He also regarded himself as both a “body poet” and a “soul poet”. In his poetry, the body and the soul get a perfect balance, the two add to each other, and they make up of the individual self. With t
29、he union of the body and the soul, Whitman promotes the equal importance of the two and emphasizes the close relationship between them. The poet reminds the soul of a previous “sexual” experience: “How you settled your head athwart my lips and gently turned owner upon me. In addition, parted the shi
30、rt from my bosom-bone, and plunged your tongue to my bare-stripped heart. And reachs till you felt my beard, and reached till you held my feet.” Here Whitman uses sexual experiences metaphorically as away of attempting to explain in human terms a complex spiritual union. The soul kisses Whitmans “pr
31、escript heart”, kisses the embodiment of love. He embraces every part of Whitman from foot to beard. This expresses an encompassing of the whole of him, the whole the Individual Self. This also reflects Whitmans view that every part of the body is equally important. This erotic fusion is the blendin
32、g of the body with the soul that is the bodily Self with the spiritual Self.3. The American SelfOn one hand, Whitman is a poet. On the other hand, he is a nationalist and democrat. It has a closed connection between his poetry and all things of American society. Therefore, his poetry could truly ref
33、lect the real social condition of American at that time. Before Whitmans time, America had been greatly connected traditions. In the nineteenth century, America was experiencing tendons changes economically, culturally and intellectually. During this time, expansion westward and the development of s
34、cience and technology continued to drive American business and economic growth, America became a thriving country full of national confidence, and as a result, American culture began to be divorced from the European continent and continuously formed its own style, America were trying to find their n
35、ational identity. The Civil War breaking out changed the history of America and the life of Whitman. Meanwhile, the womens movement, another type of egalitarian reform, grew out of the abolitionist struggle. Under such complicated background, the unique American cartelistic began to form, like freed
36、om, egalitarianism, democracy, expansiveness, egotism, a visionary bent, a taste for experiment, hostility to traditional forms, and so on. Whitman claimed this ambition was “to give something to our literature which will be our own, with neither foreign spirit, nor imagery nor form, but adapted to
37、our case, grown out of our associations, boldly portraying the west, strengthening and intensifying the nations soul, and finding the entire foundation of its birth and growth in our won country.” Therefore, as the national poet of American, Whitman strives to make a literature of Americans own. His
38、 American Self is, to some extent, the representation of such attempt. American Self is another important aspect of Whitmans Self.Whitman never held his “self” theme under the individual field. However, he expanded his “self” theme to a higher field“American self”. There are three sides in Whitmans
39、“the American self” including freedom, equality and democracy. It is Whitmans main point of creating his poetry that his following of freedom, equality and democracy.3.1 FreedomFreedom is one of important features of American and is Whitman works main idea. He used to try his best to sing a song abo
40、ut freedom holding by the young America. His poem is usually at will. He once wrote, “What do you suppose will satisfy the soul, expect to walk free and own no superior.” At that time, Whitman was known as a liberal. In his poems of Leaves of Grass, Whitman gives voice to this theme. In the Section
41、10 of By Blue Ontarios Shore, the poet declared the prime component of the American poems songs: For the great Idea, the idea of perfect and free individual, For that, the bard walks in advance, leader of leader, The attitude of him cheers up slaves and horrifies foreign despots. For the great Idea,
42、 That, O my brethren, is the mission of poems.” In many his poems, Whitman refers to the “Idea” as the freedom. In his mind, singing for freedom regarded as the mission of all American poets. To Whitman, the freedom has so many meanings. Nevertheless, the greatest freedom for him is the freedom to b
43、e oneself. Therefore, at the same time, the poet frees people from religious, culture, and philosophical obligations. Moreover, there is no rhythm from beginning to end. This way can also reflect his following of freedom in creating work. The poetry style clearly reflects the freedom of American cul
44、ture at that moment. Because in those days American cultured was facing a process, which was throwing old and useless things and welcoming new and living things. He insisted that if human want to develop their creativity, they must get the absolute freedom, which must be facing to the whole men and
45、found in the basis of equality and self-respect.3.2 EqualityWhitman always thinks that everyone of us in the world is equal including white-man, black-man, man, woman, citizen, slave and so on. At the same time, Leaves of Grass never lack of the poem that singing the women. At that time, the women m
46、ovement was rising here and subsiding there. Whitman cared about the women right movement very much. In his mind, women should share the fair rights with what men have. Therefore, Whitman was advancing on the area of fighting for the sex equality.He pays much attention on women. In his I Sing the Bo
47、dy Electric, there are lines describing Whitmans attitude towards the equity between men and women: “That of the man is perfect, and that of women is prefect.” In his opinion, “it is as great to be a woman as to be a man.” In one s self I Sing, Whitman sings, “The female equally the Male I sing”. To
48、 Whitman, male and female seen as the partial elements of “ones self”. As a social being, we must celebrate both man and woman, accepting the elements of female as well as the masculine ones to incorporate into a complete human being. As previously mentioned, Whitman sings highly for human body and
49、he believes that a health, perfect body male of female is altogether worthy of honor, admiration, and desire. Whitman expresses his respect for woman through his admiration of female body, which is progressive at that time.On the other hand, he does not agree with racial discrimination. In the mid-nineteenth century, slavery is very common and the most important issue the United States should be face. He absolutely s
