The Meaning of Life in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself

The Meaning of Life in Walt Whitman's Song of Myself

Our culture seems to be fascinated by the unknown and specifically that which pertains to things of an eternal nature such as Heaven, angels, God and the meaning of forever. These things cause us to think about what we can't see and even allow us to engage ourselves in questioning the meaning behind our existence and what our purpose is here on earth. Some of these may be humorous and take on the realities of human nature while others stir something inside ourselves that cause us to take a deeper look at life.

In Whitman's "Song of Myself" #44, he appears to be doing just that-- looking at life from a different perspective for a while. He begins with a challenge to mankind by saying, "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?" (1133-1136) It is as though he is asking each reader to join him in the exploration of the unknown, forgetting about the moment, and what the clock says and really considering what forever signifies. I don't know if you've ever sat down and actually thought about eternity... I mean really thought about it to the point that your brain seems like it's going to explode, but forever is a long time. It never ends...... and this is something that we as humans cannot fathom because in our lives everything has a beginning and everything has an end--anything other than this is viewed as incomprehensible.

Whitman suggests that there is a certain cycle which keeps repeating itself as the years go on, indicating that perhaps eternity is made up of years of processes happening over and over again. His first example is of a bottom...

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...rces" have combined, the end product is your soul. Whitman appears to have a sense of security in himself, being able to recognize where he came from ("Before I was born out of my mother generations guided me" 1163) and knowing that his life is a collaboration of efforts on many parts to make him who he is. Eventually, this would seem to indicate that it is the completion of one's soul which leads to ultimate satisfaction.

Our lives will eventually lead to an eternity...and it is crucial that we take the time to evaluate our soul's future as well as its current status. Whitman clearly emphasizes the importance of looking at life as a whole and not just the moment. Through a biographical narrative of parts of his own life, urges us look at where we've been and all we've been through...look at all those who have impacted our life and realize the big picture.