Compare And Contrast From Song Of Myself And Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman’s Understanding of Himself and his Philosophy About Life in “from Song of Myself” and “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” The poems “from Song of Myself” and “When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” written by Walt Whitman demonstrate the poet’s understanding of himself and his philosophy regarding life. Through these poems, Whitman is able to express his beliefs and values. When he was a young man, Whitman became involved with the Democratic Party. In both of these poems, we are able to distinguish his strong association to this. Whitman’s poem “from Song of Myself” starts with him exclaiming “I celebrate myself, and I sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” (1-3) Whitman appears to be looking at himself with a great deal of pride. He is proud because he sees himself as part of natures perfection which he believes he should celebrate. After this, he states that whatever he thinks everyone else ought to think. He

The astronomer showed the students proofs, figures, charts, and diagrams. Whitman stated, “he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room.” (4,5) Everyone in the class applauded the astronomer , which showed that he was popular by societies standards. Eventually Whitman becomes tired and sick until he decides to wander off by himself. He says “in the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.” (7-9) Like Whitman’s poem “from Song of Myself” he talks about how he disagrees with traditional teaching. Instead of sitting and learning in a classroom he would rather go outside and actually see the world for himself. He also talks about nature and how it affects his learning. Once he went outside and saw the world in a different way he was at