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In section six, we see the first major symbol in the poem. A small child walks up to the poet with hands
full of grass, posing the question, "What is the grass" (99)? The poet is bewildered at first by the question, but than sees
the leave of "grass is itself a child" (105), and also as a "hankerchief of the Lord" (103). We see not only the devinity
in the leaf of grass, we see the simplicity of man that the grass symbolizes, as well as the cylce of life and death. The
idea that no one really dies everyone is one with nature. "The smallest sprout shows there is really no death" (126). In
section seven, the poet feels at one with nature. He is apart of nature as well as everyone. He sees the
good in all, "The earth good and the stars good, and their adjuncts all good" (135). Sections eight through sixteen is essientialy
a list of what the poet sees. Male and female, old and young, rich and poor, healthy and disabled, all walks of life including
animals are talked about and to the poet he not only feels apart of them, he aslo loves them all. "And these tend inward to
me, and I tend outward to them..." (328). In section seventeen, the poet reassures the reader that he is at one
with nature and that his are "the thoughts of all men in all ages and lands" (354). In section eighteen, he celebrates
not only the victors but also the beaten and slain. In section 19, he feels equal to not only slaves but women as well. "...the
meal equally set,...the kept-woman,...the heavy-lipp'd slave is invited" (374-376). Toward the end of the section
he tells the reader that he not only feels like we are his equal but that he also trust us. "I tell things in confidence,
i might not tell everybody, but i will tell you" (387-388). Making the reader feel apart of the poet as he had felt apart
of the reader.
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