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![]() SONG OF MYSELF by Walt Whitman Sections 42-52 Analysis
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In these last 10 sections of the poem starting with
section 42, the poet tells of corruption in things of society like politics, wars, markets, banks, tariffs, etc., that people
are involved in. These people are him as well because they are all unified into
one. “I acknowledge the duplicates of myself, the weakest and shallowest
is deathless with me, What I do and say the same waits for them, Every thought that flounders in me the same flounders in
them” (1080-1082). It seems that he is trying to say that corruption will
never die just like people who are deathless. Corruption is a part of everything
that is and those that are the weakest and shallowest are deathless with the poet. The
poet says that he does not hate priests or religion in section 43, but rather that his “faith is the greatest of faiths
and the least of faiths” (1097). It seems as if his faith consists of many
different religions. In line 1099 he states, “Believing I shall come again
upon the earth after five thousand years”, “Helping the llama or Brahmin…” (1102), showing beliefs
of Buddhism and Hinduism. He says that he accepts the gospels, and even puritan
beliefs. He is able to do this because he is everyone and everyone is him. Again the theme of unity shows itself. In
lines 1135-1137 of section 44 the poet says, “What is known I strip away, I launch all men and women forward with me
into the Unknown. The clock indicates the moment-but what does eternity indicate?” This goes to show the relationship that he and everyone else has with eternity. Instead of focusing on the moment, he wants the reader to look at eternity. This is also shown in the next lines where he talks of the trillions of winter past and those yet to be
had. Section 45 does the same kind of thing in illustrating mans relationship
with eternity and how we are but a part of it. This is shown in lines 1194-1195
where he says, “A few quadrillions of eras, a few octillions of cubic leagues, do not hazard the span or make it impatient,
They are but parts, any thing is but a part.” At the end of this section
he speaks of meeting god: “My rendezvous is appointed, it is certain, The Lord will be there and wait till I come on
perfect terms, The great Camerado, the lover true for whom I pine will be there.”
All of this ties into section 46 where the poet makes his journey and encourages all to join. He calls it a “perpetual journey” because as he stated in the previous sections there is no
end. In Section 47, the poet asserts himself as a teacher and hopes that his teachings will help with the
search of ones on individuality. "He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher" (1236). In section
48, he tells the reader that God himself is not as importantant as oneself, and to not be so infatiated with God
for he is all around us, he is everywhere and in everything. "In the faces of men and women i see God..." (1284).
In both sections 49 and 50, he tells us that he is not afraid of death for he has died "ten thousand times" but
that happieness is more important than any facet. The I
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