Text analysis Ones self I Sing by Walt

Text analysis “One’s self I Sing” by Walt Whitman Approaching Literary Genres p. 42 Millennium

ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse. Of physiology from top to toe I sing, not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far, the Female equally with the Male I sing. Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, cheerful, for freest action formed under the laws divine, the Modern Man I sing. FOCUS ON THE MEANING 1. What is the poet celebrating? Name three subjects of those mentioned in the poem. • • • He sings of the self , that is the individual in all its aspects. He sings of: each individual, with no regard to his/her social status (“the word Democratic …. En-Masse”, l. 2); the body (“physiology”, l. 3); male and female; man and woman (“the Female equally with the Male I sing”, l. 5); life in all its richness and beauty (“Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power”, l. 6); in a word, he sings of what he considers to be “The Modern Man” (l. 8)

ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En. Masse. FOCUS ON THE MEANING Of physiology from top to toe I sing, 2. What do you think the poet means not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is by the line highlighted in yellow? worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far, • The poet implies the idea that the whole the Female equally with the Male I sing. body, sex and physical life in general (see Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, also “passion, pulse and power”, below), cheerful, for freest action formed under the not only just the mind , have to be laws divine, appreciated for what they are. the Modern Man I sing. ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En 3. Highlight in green the expressions Masse. that indicate that the idea of Of physiology from top to toe I sing, completeness, of unity runs through the not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is whole poem. worthy for the Muse, I say the Form complete is worthier far, the Female equally with the Male I sing. Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, cheerful, for freest action formed under the laws divine, the Modern Man I sing.

ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En- FOCUS ON Masse. 4. This is both a poem of the self and of the Of physiology from top to toe I sing, universe. not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is Highlight in red the expression worthy for the Muse, which emphasizes individualism. I say the Form complete is worthier far, Highlight in blue the expressions the Female equally with the Male I sing. which emphasize a sort of cosmic force Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, cheerful, for freest action formed under the laws divine, 5. The poem is divided into three stanzas. the Modern Man I sing. Do you think this corresponds to a progression to three different stages? Give reasons for your answer. . • Yes, there is a progression in the development of the poem. • In the first stanza the poet starts from the individual as part of society (“Democratic … En-Masse”, l. 2), • then he continues contemplating the body, and the idea of the body leads him to consider the basic distinction between man and woman (second stanza). • This idea leads him to sing of Life as a divine entity, of which man and woman partake (third stanza). In conclusion, we may say that there is a progression from the particular to the general, from the individual to the universal. THE MEANING

ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En- FOCUS ON Masse. 6. This is unrhymed poem, yet three lines Of physiology from top to toe I sing, end with the same identical word (and not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is therefore sound). What is it? worthy for the Muse, • It is “sing” (ll 3, 5, 8). I say the Form complete is worthier far, the Female equally with the Male I sing. 7. What effect do you think the poet tries Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, to achieve by this? Give reasons for your cheerful, for freest action formed under the choice/s: laws divine, q a hymn-like rhythm the Modern Man I sing. q a triple rhyme q to stress his role as a speaking voice FREE VERSE • The poet may try to achieve a hymn-like rhythm, as if he were a preacher presenting his religion: here the poet is expressing a sort of pantheistic religion of life (“formed under the laws divine”, l. 7). But … • he may also want to stress his role as a speaking voice, as a sort of interpreter of the self, of each living individual, of the Modern Man.

FOCUS ON FREE VERSE ONE'S-SELF I sing, a simple separate person, yet utter the word Democratic, the word En- 8. The rhythmic quality of the poem owes a lot to certain repeated sounds. Masse. Highlight in grey the examples of Of physiology from top to toe I sing, alliteration. not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is Highlight in pink the examples of worthy for the Muse, assonance. I say the Form complete is worthier far, the Female equally with the Male I sing. Underline the repeated key words. Of Life immense in passion, pulse, and power, Repeated key words: “I sing” ll. 1, cheerful, for freest action formed under the 3, 5. 8 laws divine, the Modern Man I sing. 9. Try to scan at least three lines, indicating the number of beats for each line. • Line 1: One’s / self / I / sing / a / sim / ple / sep / (a)rate / per / son (12 syllables / 6 beats) • Line 2: yet / ut / ter / the / word / Dem / o / crat / ic, / the / word/ En- / Masse (13 syllables / 6 beats) • Line 3: Of / phys / i / ol / o / gy/ from / top / toe / I / Sing (12 syllables / 5 beats)