Walt_Whitman_vs,_Frederick_Douglass__the_True_Sovereign_American_Self

March 13, 2012 Mid-Term Essay (Questions 1+2 combined) The sovereign American self has no simple, dictionary definition. As the task of defining the sovereign American self is a difficult one, filled with much reflection, observation and assumption, Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson set out to create their own definitions. In Whitman’s poem Song of Myself and in Emerson’s essays “The Divinity School Address” and “The Poet”, the men express their own beliefs as to what makes the American sovereign self, in all matters of life. As the two strive to convey to readers their notions of what truly makes the sovereign self, they often contradict themselves and one another, as well as giving readers insight into the social world they lived in and the values, morals and ideals of their time. At the very start of Song of Myself Whitman tries to draw the reader in with brief but powerful statements, announcing that all should be aware of their own self-worth and equality in the world. He states that “For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you”, prefacing his work with the notion that he feels that he is in the same position as the reader, in the grand scheme of the universe. This leads into Whitman’s foremost contradiction in his work. While he initially tells the reader that they are in fact equal and made of the same atoms, he continues on to make incredibly narcissistic comments at later points in the work. As he describes his deep knowledge and understanding of nature and the American self, he gives off arrogance and a “know it all” vibe that does not help him to convey his message. One instance in which he extols his self is when he describes the negro he sees working with the horses. He does not know this man at all, and while he may feel strongly about equality and the abolition of slavery, is it fair to say that he truly loves him' How could he love someone of any race just on the basis of seeing them perform some task' This example seems to not demonstrate Whitman’s unconditional love for every human being he lays eyes on, but Whitman’s knowledge of the value of love and his own desire to perpetuate the image of undying loving-kindness in himself. While Whitman’s apparent narcissism does not help his relationship with the reader, he does manage to convey incredibly profound messages about nature and the relationship of the self with the surrounding world. Song of Myself is a poem that does not have any specific rhyme scheme or structure. It is free verse, allowing Whitman to produce a work that is a stream of consciousness, giving readers insight into his natural thinking process and feelings. As the lines of the poem sound like his true present thoughts and not an intricately designed and extensively edited written piece, he creates an authenticity for himself and his work, and therefore engages readers and makes them interested in what he has to say. To begin to describe what Whitman believes is the true sovereign American self, he emphasizes the importance of nature in shaping someone’s true self. He acknowledges that the world of modern society and material wealth are things that he likes and admires, but things that one should not let shape their identities. Whitman writes that “…the shelves are crowded with perfumes, I breathe the fragrance myself, and I know it and like it, the distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.” In this way Whitman lets us know that he does recognize that material things can be beautiful and enticing, but if one should let themselves fall prisoner to the nice and pretty things created by man, they will miss the more pure and inspiring beauty of nature. With his diction, Whitman also implies that the material things in the world have a dangerous sensuality about them. While Whitman could have said that the perfume distracted him or smelled pleasant, he chose to use the word intoxicate, implying that the perfume has an unnatural, dangerous and even stimulating effect on him He furthers this point saying “The atmosphere is not a perfume...it is odorless...I am in love with it.” Whitman’s clear desire to make readers feel and fully understand his thoughts and emotions serves as a perfect example of how he feels the sovereign American self should act. Whitman implies over and over that it is most important for the sovereign self, to learn through experience, and to experience each and every new thing for oneself. He states that “you shall no longer take things at second or third hand…. Nor look through the eyes of the dead….nor feed on the spectres in books.” In this line he makes it clear that while they would seemingly be trustworthy sources of intelligence, the past experiences of others and the knowledge poured into books, cannot serve as a source of knowledge. Instead, a person should see, hear, smell, touch and feel the world for themselves, as that is the only way they will understand and become one with nature- therefore becoming the American sovereign self. Walt Whitman wrote Song of Myself around 1855, when the Industrial Revolution was coming to an end, and an industrialized society was becoming the norm. As he was around to see American society transform from a simplistic life of agriculture and the constant appreciation and cultivation of nature, a new society with smoke stacks, pollution and an obsession with all things material had to be alarming. As such, it is easy to see how Whitman could have truly developed a particularly deep appreciation for nature and the aspects of life that cannot be produces quickly and systematically on an assembly line or in a machine. It makes sense then that Whitman would see the sovereign American self as one that understands the world outside of machines and unnecessary objects. Furthermore, it becomes understandable that Whitman would value doing with your own two hands and experiencing everything in the natural world both with the body and with the mind. Whitman even states that he believes “I have instant conductors all over me…they seize every object and lead it harmlessly through me.” By saying this Whitman also implies that while experiencing all the wonders of nature is a beautiful and necessary activity, it is also one that is harmless and can never bring anything but new knowledge and understanding. Like Whitman, Emerson stressed the importance of nature and experiencing its wonders for oneself. However, Emerson differs from Whitman in that he completely rejects the material world. While Whitman expresses that nature is more important than anything and experiencing it is the only way to truly be knowledgeable, he also allows himself to like material things, as long as he does not let them consume him. We see this in his previously noted description of his feelings about the perfume. Emerson fully rejects anything that does not come from nature and dismisses it as unnecessary, sensual and superficial. He makes this especially clear in “The Poet when he writes “We fill the hands and nurseries of our children with all manner of dolls, drums and horses; withdrawing their eyes from the plain face and sufficing objects of nature, the sun and the moon, the animals, the water and stones, which should be their toys.” Here he asserts that from early childhood on, society’s notions of what is proper, normal and good actually detracts from the relationship of an individual with the natural world, and therefore hinders their actualization of their American sovereign self. In this passage Emerson not only conveys his disapproval of society’s obsession with material things but he also begins to give causation for the reason why he believes the American nation has become disconnected from nature, and citizens must begin to change the way in which they think, regard nature, and react to the new unnecessary things the Industrial Revolution was beginning to make so available. As opposed to Whitman who cautions against “intoxication” by the material world, but focuses more on the good that experiencing the natural world can do for self-actualization, Emerson spends a lot of energy explaining that beauty cannot come from having style, good taste or knowledge of many books but can only come from listening to ones emotions, acting on them wildly and fearlessly and finding a way to express the wisdom that they find. In “The Poet” Emerson asserts that “the poet” is the ideal sovereign American self. He describes the ideal self, as someone who experiences life for themselves and does not try to take knowledge from others, does not pay any heed to the “science” that society has claimed to have compiled, but to rather find any answers that seem ambiguous in nature for oneself, as “everything in nature answers to a moral power, if any phenomenon remains brute and dark, it is because the corresponding faculty in the observer is not yet active.” Even before writing “The Poet”, Emerson created the “The Divinity School Address” in which he furthers his point and expands on his definition of the true sovereign American self. In this essay Emerson attempts to put the reader in the right perspective that he believes an American citizen should have. He writes “ Man…seems a young child, and his huge globe a toy…A more secret, sweet, and overpowering beauty appears to man when his heart and mind open to the sentiment of virtue. Then he is instructed in what is above him.” In writing this, Emerson is claiming that man is small in comparison to nature and in order to find his true self an must be open to experiencing and learning virtue through nature for himself, and not by secondhand means. Man must use the globe as “a toy”, playing with it freely and imaginatively and being open to all new discoveries and realizations. Throughout his works Emerson seems to emphasize the need of assuming a childlike position when discovering oneself. In “The Poet” Emerson describes the poet as the ideal American self as he is like a “moody child” experiencing new things and acting wildly on emotion. Now as he refers to the man as a young child and the world a toy he continues this motif and strengthens his message. In Emerson’s time the Industrial Revolution was changing everything about society and complicating the way in which American citizens lived and sustained themselves. The appreciation for the products of nature and hands on experience was lessening and Emerson felt this to be something incredibly detrimental to the American identity and sovereign self. In this way, the social context of Emerson’s work greatly benefits his case, proving that it is in fact easy to lose sight of the fascinating capabilities of nature, while becoming reliant on man made things and the conventions of society. However it is also possible to see the social context as destructive to Emerson’s message. As the industrial Revolution was modernizing America and benefitting the economy for its citizens, could it really be simply pure evil' Furthermore, would an appreciation for machine and products necessarily imply a disconnect between every person and the natural world around them' Emerson has an undeniable point in stating that material wealth can be distracting and can take away from the appreciation of the American land by its people, but his complete denial of all science that society has discovered, weakens his authority and therefore makes it harder to believe his opinion of what is the true sovereign American self. Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman were just two of the men who aimed to find and describe to others what made the true sovereign American self. In doing so, both men relayed a fantastic love of nature and an understanding of the importance of the connection of man with his natural surroundings. Although both writers had much to say that contradicted other parts of their messages, both leave their impression on readers, emphasizing the need for an American citizen to understand, love, and appreciate their country for all that it is naturally, before become the sovereign self. (Question 7) In Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself and Frederick Douglass’ Narrative, the two men portray an unmistakable concern for the wellbeing of the social fabric of the nation, as they describe their concerns for the individual. As he describes the way in which he feels every individual should be living, Whitman also implies that the way people around him are living in the present, is not ideal. In his writing Whitman includes detailed descriptions of how he feels different aspects of society should be. In describing his own life, Frederick Douglass gives endless examples of bitter social injustice that let readers know that he knows that the social fabric of the American Nation is all but ripped at the seams. While it is true that their writings are in namely aiming to describe the needs of the individual to become the ideal sovereign American, both works include distinct concerns for both the welfare of the individual citizen and how their attitudes and actions can alter and better the entire American society. Furthermore, both works express urgency for the change of the nation on individual and social levels that leave readers moved and truly thinking in a new, often progressive manner. Some of the most memorable parts of Frederick Douglass’ narrative are the stories he relays to readers about the mindless physical abuse he, and the slaves around him were constantly subjected to. In the very beginning of the book, as early as the first chapter, Douglass describes the brutal whipping of his aunt. The senseless and volatile hatred of the slave owner becomes unforgettable as Douglass describes the “warm, red blood” that feel from her innocent body. The descriptive imagery in this passage not only transports the reader to the scene, forcing them to experience the brutality, but it gives his aunt a realness and humanity that creates a sympathy between the reader and the subjects. In this particular instance, Douglass seems to just be describing the torture of his aunt by one evil man, however in writing about this event Douglass is portraying how he sees the rest of the white nation he is living with. As he describes this one act of violence, Douglass is also showing readers that if one man, who is of no different blood or origin than all the other men around, could perform such an act, why couldn’t everyone and anyone else do the same thing' It is not a matter of whether or not everyone is whipping the people that they have claimed to own as property, but rather a matter of the capability of every man to do so if he should want to, and society’s negligence, acceptance and inaction. Douglass adds to this message with the style of writing he uses throughout the entire piece. Frederick Douglass was an incredibly intelligent and capable author, however he chose to not write with an elaborate, loquacious style, but with simple diction, typically short sentences, and an overall feeling of directness. In the second chapter Douglass lists the details of the plantation he was on in a very matter of fact way. He seems to un-emotionally list the number of slaves that were owned, how many overseers were on duty and what the rules were for all the slaves. As he describes the plantation he casually notes “If a slave was convicted of any high misdemeanor, became unmanageable, or evinced a determination to run away, he was brought immediately here, severely whipped, put on board the sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to Austin Woolfolk, or some other slave-trader, as a warning to the slaves remaining.” While his style of writing is quick and to the point, any reader of Douglass’ narrative is fully aware of the emotions he is feeling. While Douglass does not give details of how he felt at certain points in his life, he has a way of connecting with the readers and enabling them to see the story from his eyes and therefore feel his emotions for themselves. While it might have been easier to just describe exactly the emotions that he experienced, Douglass’s more plain style of writing sends readers a lasting message about the state of the American nation at that time. The fact that slavery as an institution was something normal, and that whippings and rape were banal matters, speaks to the complete and utter disrepair of the social fabric of the American nation during Douglass’ lifetime. It is through his unique style of writing that Douglass portrays the readers the seriousness of racism and hate, as well as the hideousness of a society that is conducive to such cruelty. In Song of Myself Walt Whitman establishes what he believes is the correct way for individuals to connect with nature, and therefore grow into the people they were meant to be. The entire poem has a focus on the value of putting oneself in nature, away from any material objects or distractions, in order to be able to experience nature at first hand, and learn new things about the world and one’s own self and being. Although he speaks in the first person, Whitman makes it clear that he is aiming his advice, in part, to the entire American nation. As he describes his love for his fellow man “I behold...and I love him”, he implies that he is aware that not everyone in the nation feels the same. His expression of appreciation for equality and love, imply his complete disapproval of the segregated, unequal and hate-filled nation of which he is currently part. Whitman takes a more direct approach at reprimanding the current state of the American nation at his time and he pleads with the people to have a new appreciation for their government. He writes “The President is up there in the White House for you…. It is not you who are here for him, The Secretaries in their bureaus for you….not you here for them “With this statement Whitman pleads Americans to appreciate their place in the world, as well as the fact that each person has an individual journey and something unique and important to offer, even though he believes that everyone has a similar soul. Not only does Whitman comment on society in terms of bureaucracy but he also comments on the “dinner, dress,associates,looks..” that each person seems to rely on to cover their true soul and distract themselves from the true individual soul searching that they need to be doing. By saying this, Whitman asserts that society depends too much on image and material wealth and should really reconnect with who they truly are, as most people are in fact eerily similar. While Whitman does appreciate the new industries arising in America and expresses this especially clearly in his poem To a Locomotive in Winter, he expresses that it should simply not be the focus of life, and nature’s beauty and power should not be forgotten and dismissed. As they share their personal experiences and thoughts, Frederick Douglass and Walt Whitman also share their opinions on what is wrong with the American nation and how the social fabric of the nation could be properly repaired. As they were both living in times of drastic social change it is natural that both would identify a problem, articulate it and propose a solution. However, these two writers brilliantly conveyed their messages through the simple telling of their own experiences and feelings, and therefore allowed readers to see their opinions from their point of you, enabling them to truly understand the urgency of the subject matter.