yassinelbadrawy's review against another edition
3.0
This took me ages. OMFG. I initially started this, because I heard he influenced a lot of Lana del Rey's writing and I fucking adore this woman with every inch of my body. My opinion would have been totally different of the poems themselves if I actually went deep into every poem, but I'm sorry some of them were just too too too long I couldn't
colin_cox's review against another edition
5.0
It has taken some time for Whitman's "Song of Myself" to develop into a genuine interest. Since first reading it as an undergraduate, I have held a begrudging affection for Whitman's meandering, self-reflective poem, and I suspect it's because I could not determine how to understand the sense of optimism and promise that permeates nearly every line. Much has changed since I first read "Song of Myself," and that appears to be significant. I am older, I have a son, and I like to think that what was once an unbearably pessimistic disposition, has evolved into something far less angst-ridden, and by extension, more mature.
During our class discussion, I told my students that Whitman seems to attract a thoughtful and mature reader. I could not say (nor can I now) if that's the critical consensus. It just felt right to me.
During our class discussion, I told my students that Whitman seems to attract a thoughtful and mature reader. I could not say (nor can I now) if that's the critical consensus. It just felt right to me.
colin_cox's review against another edition
5.0
Part of the joy of teaching a class for the first time in a few semesters is returning to texts that have fallen off my radar. This is the case with Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself." I taught "Song of Myself" earlier this week, and this semester's class and I had an expansive and far-reaching conversation about a variety of topics. However, the one topic of discussion I found the most intriguing was Whitman's depiction and characterization of the body. Whenever I teach "Song of Myself," I emphasize notions of inclusivity, specifically regarding class and race, but this class effectively explored how Whitman's understanding of the body is equally inclusive. That is to say, Whitman uses a variety of descriptive phrases to suggest a more expansive understanding of what the human body can look like.
For example, consider the twenty-eight young men from Section XI. Whitman writes, "The young men float on their backs, their white bellies bulge to the sun." According to Whitman, their stomachs (which he affectionately calls "bellies") "bulge," which suggests these young men are far from lean. Furthermore, earlier in the section, Whitman reveals that the young woman, a point-of-view figure of sorts, prefers the least attractive of the young men. Whitman writes, "Which of the young men does she like the best? / Ah the homeliest of them is beautiful to her."
My class seemed taken by Whitman's celebration of what today we would characterize as less-than-ideally-attractive bodies, which is to say, the way we tend to equate attractiveness and desirability with thinness. I would love to research beauty standards from the 19th century to better understand these references to bulging bellies. Specifically, I would like to know if thinness, particularly references and representations of thinness, signified what they signify today.
For example, consider the twenty-eight young men from Section XI. Whitman writes, "The young men float on their backs, their white bellies bulge to the sun." According to Whitman, their stomachs (which he affectionately calls "bellies") "bulge," which suggests these young men are far from lean. Furthermore, earlier in the section, Whitman reveals that the young woman, a point-of-view figure of sorts, prefers the least attractive of the young men. Whitman writes, "Which of the young men does she like the best? / Ah the homeliest of them is beautiful to her."
My class seemed taken by Whitman's celebration of what today we would characterize as less-than-ideally-attractive bodies, which is to say, the way we tend to equate attractiveness and desirability with thinness. I would love to research beauty standards from the 19th century to better understand these references to bulging bellies. Specifically, I would like to know if thinness, particularly references and representations of thinness, signified what they signify today.
mykeenknife's review against another edition
3.0
Much more intriguing the second time around I must say. He fully grasps the ephemeral nature of existence and makes no excuses for it.
naiapard's review against another edition
5.0
I thought I would not like Whitman.
I thought that I knew what to expect from him.
After all, he was a Romantic so after I had read a bit of Wordsworth this should not have been that big of a difference. But it was. I think?
Maybe because I had read Markus Zusak`s [b:The Book Thief|19063|The Book Thief|Markus Zusak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522157426l/19063._SY75_.jpg|878368] I was able to understand this poem? Or maybe exactly because of that the meaning that I undertook had been tainted? Or not?
What was this poem about? I guess that it concerned itself with Nature whiteout check, with original energy
It is quite hard to go into detail with this poem, with any poem for that matter because this is not a plot that I can resume. Or is it? Because he tends to have a bit of prose insides his melodious poems.
Instagram\\my Blog\\
I thought that I knew what to expect from him.
After all, he was a Romantic so after I had read a bit of Wordsworth this should not have been that big of a difference. But it was. I think?
Maybe because I had read Markus Zusak`s [b:The Book Thief|19063|The Book Thief|Markus Zusak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1522157426l/19063._SY75_.jpg|878368] I was able to understand this poem? Or maybe exactly because of that the meaning that I undertook had been tainted? Or not?
What was this poem about? I guess that it concerned itself with Nature whiteout check, with original energy
It is quite hard to go into detail with this poem, with any poem for that matter because this is not a plot that I can resume. Or is it? Because he tends to have a bit of prose insides his melodious poems.
Instagram\\my Blog\\
lateromantic's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
maferalav's review against another edition
3.0
“Do I contradict myself?
Very well then... I contradict myself;
I am large... I contain multitudes.”
Now I get why he’s considered “the quintessential American poet” (What’s with the capital letter in American?); sometimes there was so much America I wanted to drop the book but then there were silver linings when Whitman stopped being just a citizen from a country to be part of the humankind.
There are beautiful fragments: pretty liberal for their time, sometimes reaching the naïf; yet, there’s a dazzling feeling for the world that surrounds us just as it is. Of ourselves just as we are.
And then freedom.
Very well then... I contradict myself;
I am large... I contain multitudes.”
Now I get why he’s considered “the quintessential American poet” (What’s with the capital letter in American?); sometimes there was so much America I wanted to drop the book but then there were silver linings when Whitman stopped being just a citizen from a country to be part of the humankind.
There are beautiful fragments: pretty liberal for their time, sometimes reaching the naïf; yet, there’s a dazzling feeling for the world that surrounds us just as it is. Of ourselves just as we are.
And then freedom.
harleyburch's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I need to read this again. I've already forgotten so much of it but then again, I have never had to digest such a long poem before. It had me stunned though which is the mark of an effective poem in my opinion. If someone asked me what literature entails, I would hand them this. I look forward to revisiting this in the future to gauge my understanding and enjoyment further.