Excerpts from "Song of Myself": 1, 2, 6, 52

Question

Walt Whitman
1855

I Celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air,

Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,

I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,

Hoping to cease not till death.

Creeds and schools in abeyance,

Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,

I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,

Nature without check with original energy.

How does the speaker feel?

overly self confident in his skills

connected to the world he observes around him

certain that everyone must agree with him

as though death is quickly approaching

Answer 1

The speaker in "Song of Myself" appears to feel connected to the world he observes around him. He celebrates himself and his connection to nature, reflecting a profound sense of identity that is intertwined with the world. The lines express a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of all beings and the shared experience of existence, as indicated by phrases like "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." This connection to both nature and humanity suggests a holistic perspective rather than a sense of urgency about death or an overly self-confident stance.