"Assurances" Literary Analysis: Death Stops for None and It Really Bugs Me

The clip above is from the Supernatural episode "Mystery Spot" and includes a montage of Dean's deaths from the episode (thanks, turvy93!). It's interesting to see a character die over and over in different ways (humorous, even,  after the initial one). The episode wants to say to the viewer that even if one anticipates and prevents a disaster, when Fate is ready to claim a life, said life will be claimed. I'm not sure how I feel about predetermined events, but Walt Whitman's poem "Assurances" provides a nice commentary on death's inevitability.

So, let us take a look at things about which Walt is assured:

1. People are looking at him, and he is not familiar with them all.

2. The beauty present in the natural world is present in every being, place, idea..."any iota of the world" (Whitman 562; ll.7).

3. He is without limit and everything else is without limit.

4. His spirit does not conform to the laws that his physical body does.

5. He agrees with T.S. Eliot about the women who talk about Michelangelo at parties (if you haven't read "Prufrock," get to it, guys).

6. He recognizes that this existence and the next existence are two separate experiences during which our senses change, reflecting another realm.

7. People die. Young people die. Bummer, I know.

8. Tragic events will occur and unapologetically claim lives. Brutal and unexpected death is not limited to old white guys who have it coming to them but also to those undeserving of having their lives cut short.

9. Anything can happen - there is a certain supernatural ebb and flow in the world which permits crazy, unexpected happenings.

10. Death is divine and is the only certainty, the only experience connecting all forms of life.

I like the initial contrast of this one. Whitman is aware of who he is, having spent time learning his preferences, fears, strengths, and weaknesses but admits to not being as aware as he would like of others' "now looking faces / I am not cognizant of, calm and actual faces" (Whitman 562; ll. 4-5). Sometimes we react irrationally when (perhaps) judgmental eyes are upon us - we frantically attempt to find some common ground to make a connection. By the end of the poem, Whitman has found the common ground; unfortunately, it is the fact that both he and the lookers will die.

Now, Whitman has made peace with the concept of death. He feels that the next life will be better, or, at least, different. He will no longer be constrained by physical limitation. He, like his art (and through his art), is immortal. If only Sam (shaggy hair guy from the YouTube clip) could come to terms with his brother's death, he would not have to relive it in so many (equally painful) scenarios. No. I get it. Death sucks. We all seek a way to avoid it. Even the most devoutly religious individual is not 100% comfortable with physically dying. It's pretty scary.

I like the fact that the "Mystery Spot" episode presents death as something that is initially unsettling yet quickly humorous. There is a bit of bite to Whitman's poem. He does not sugarcoat the fact that even the perfect, beautiful children with great opportunity in life can die all of a sudden without warning. Tragedy occurs and does not take the time to preserve the women and kids whilst killing off the men who have lived their lives and are at the end of their ropes. Tragedy can and will destroy everyone involved. Maybe there is some truth to the fact that we can cope with death better if we laugh at it, embracing the fact that we are not exempt from fate.

If we are so grateful for the miracle of Life, why are we not gracious to the great leveler Death?

Why does Whitman paint death as something "Heavenly?" (563; ll.32). Let's be fair. He thinks everything is divine. The smallest broken leaf on the arm of a dying flower is divine to Whitman. He did name his life's work Leaves of Grass. I suppose with all of the subtle differences that separate people in the world, there is something to be said for the one thing connecting them all. Death does not show favoritism as politicians do. 100 out of 100 people die. Great track record for the great Reaper. Also, it is peaceful. Whether there is a spiritual life awaiting the dead or simply an eternity of sleep, who could argue with the peace that marches toward us upon the arm of Death?

With that said, I cannot end without justifying my title. Death is a tough concept to explore. Although watching Dean die over and over is pretty funny, he is still a character about which I care. We are never ready to see a loved one die and are never fully prepared to die ourselves. Last week, Joey Feek, great woman of God and brilliant country music vocalist, passed away at the hands of cancer. I did not meet Joey, but she meant something to me. I have hope that beyond death there is a vast realm of beauty and harmony, but it is troubling to recognize the truth - we march toward a ledge and the emptiness beyond with no way to stop.

Sorry that I could not end on a brighter note, readers! I hope that you will take a look at this poem also and absorb some of the peace that Whitman has come to understand.

Works Cited

 

Whitman, Walt, and John Hollander. "Assurances." Leaves of Grass: The Complete 1855 and 1891-92 Editions. 2nd ed. New York: Library of America Paperback Classics, 2011. 562-563. Print.



"Passage to India" Literary Analysis: What's the Deal with Doorways?

 

I am a sucker for good cinematography. This clip is from the most recent film adaptation of Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (and taken from Fairygirl912's YouTube channel). This is just one example of an artist making use of a doorway to connect one world to another. Now. How does Lucy's journey into the wardrobe connect to the work of Walt Whitman? It seems as though Whitman recognizes the ability (typical of children) to see beyond the limitations of the physical world. Perhaps Whitman is a kid at heart....or perhaps there is something much bigger going on. Let's take a look at text from Whitman's "Passage of India." 

 

"Ah who shall soothe these feverish children?

Who justify these restless explorations?

Who speak the secret of impassive earth?

Who bind it to us? what is this separate Nature so unnatural?

What is this earth to our affections? (unloving earth,

     without a throb to answer ours,

Cold earth, the place of graves.)"   (534; Section 5, ll.17-23)

 

We see several questions, meaning Whitman does not fully understand the way in which our minds take us to other places, but he is fascinated by it. Obviously, many would note that C.S. Lewis often writes through the lens of a devoutly religious man. Thus, one may interpret Narnia as he or she will based on that assumption. However, there is something to be said for imagination and the poetic voice as well. Some can feel it in their bones and others cannot (to paraphrase a creative writing teacher who never fails to be brutally honest with me about my work). Inspiration leads to the development of these worlds, and the artist has the power to make things the way he or she wants within them. As Whitman notes in the passage above, our world is not so kind. It does not show bias -- it is a system/machine that must follows laws. As humans, we must follow those laws as well. Herein lies the value of the poet -- the poet can remove these laws and simplify the complexities of existence to attempt to explain them.

Here is another example of a passage or portal used in film:

 

Okay. Okay. I'm sorry for this one. I adore horror films, so this was one of the first things that came to mind when I began considering strong examples for "passages." This is from The Ring (the channel is Movieclips). I can make this one work.

 

Another realm explored by Whitman in the poem is the realm of the dead. Samara, in the clip above, is dead, venturing to the world of humans to seek vengeance. Obviously, Whitman does not suggest that this is possible, but he does suggest that communication with those of the past and the future is possible. Here is text from the 8th section of "Passage to India":

 

"Swiftly I shrivel at the thought of God,

At Nature and its wonders, Time and Space and Death,

But that I, turning, call to thee O soul, thou actual Me,

And lo, thou gently masterest the orbs,

Thou matest Time, smilest content at Death,

And fillest, swellest full the vastness of Space" (538; Section 8, ll.40-45).

 

We see a new character emerging here. This character is the Soul, the Spirit. Whitman does not see finiteness as a characteristic of the soul. He sees something capable of reaching other times, reaching the far recesses of space. He is okay with death because the true essence of his existence, his soul, is not contained by death. The fact that you, reader, just read Whitman's work, thought about it, and absorbed it tells us that Whitman is still active, not physically, of course. Maybe this offers some consolation for the artist -- the artist inserts himself/herself into his/her work and that work carries the artist to the future and beyond. This idea of continuing conversation among artists is a recurring theme within Whitman's poetry.

 

The portals, if you like, are not limited to just these. Whitman recognizes the potential for the individual to reach other cultures, other times, other realms, and other people. The advent of the railroad is incredibly significant to Whitman's understanding of connectivity. People all over the country could access one another. Imagine what he would have thought about cell phones and Skype. Good grief.

 

I considered inserting a clip from Pan's Labyrinth here - be grateful that I didn't because I would have introduced you to the Pale Man and one heart attack is plenty for a blog post.

 

Look into the poem for yourself! Find other ways in which we are all connected. Consider the fact that connectivity is both beautiful and dangerous. (If you need evidence, consider the present conflict with The Middle East).

 

 

 

 

 

"Reconciliation" Literary Analysis: The Aftermath of Physical Conflict

 

So, this week I am exploring Whitman's poetry which focuses on the Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln. Thus, you may be curious why this post begins with an image of a poster from the film Fight Club (image taken from The Stony Press and Jesse Griffith's post "Nostalgia Goggles: Fight Club"). What does a catastrophic conflict between brothers over major societal issues - North vs. South - and a fallen commander-in-chief have to do with this modern(ish) classic?

 

The answer: a lot.

 

The poem "Reconciliation" is the focus for this post, but any of the Drum Taps poems would be sufficient to make the connection that I am attempting to make here. In Fight Club, fighting is a method for letting off steam, addressing conflict between males in a way upon which the world would have frowned if not done underground. The main character, an everyman, seeks to understand his value in the world. I've seen Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters address this release as well, noting that they enjoy fighting in the octagon because it is a free space with which to exert pent up energy. It is identity.

 

Now. Let's be clear. I do NOT...DO NOT support violence for the sake of self-discovery. Fighting is rarely ever the right answer. The world is working toward more peaceful methods of addressing issues, especially now that a third world war is a possibility. So, for any young people reading this post, DON'T FIGHT ONE ANOTHER. Use words. They are powerful.

 

The Civil War is an event that is sometimes glorified through Whitman's poetry. Whitman is seeing the change in the country that he has been promoting since "Song of Myself." He sees unity, passion, brotherhood, and teamwork. The people are addressing major problems and developing their voice, developing the Voice that America will maintain during Reconstruction and the years to follow. The way in which America is reaching this state of understanding is violence.

 

Fight Club uses a similar concept at the heart of the transformation for the "Everyman" character. In some ways, the film is a coming-of-age tale - the main character pursues anarchy and violence to give his life meaning. His goal is not to hurt someone; it is to feel something.

 

Let's take a look at the text. This one is short enough to post in its entirety:

 

"Reconciliation"

WORD over all, beautiful as the sky,

Beautiful that war and all its deeds of carnage must in time

     be utterly lost,

That the hands of the sisters Death and Night incessantly

     softly wash again, and ever again, this soil'd world;

For my enemy is dead, a man divine as myself is dead,

I look where he lies white-faced and still in the coffin -- I

     draw near,

Bend down and touch lightly with my lips the white face in

     the coffin.

 

(Text taken from Leaves of Grass: The Complete 1855 and 1891-92 Editions by Walt Whitman and John Hollander, pg. 453)



There are a few thing going on here worth noting.
1. Whitman is accountable.
2. Whitman is apologizing (with a kiss).
3. Death, destruction, darkness, confusion, and suffering have reestablished friendship among enemies from all parts of the country.

I am most interested in the third of these ideas. Whitman uses an intriguing literary technique often - he will introduce an aspect of the human condition that typically scares the reader or, at least, makes him/her uncomfortable. Then, he tells us why this aspect is necessary and/or helpful. It is like love. Love hurts, but it is enlightening and empowering.

Following the Civil War is Reconstruction. This means that those who committed time and energy into destroying their neighbor must work with said neighbor to make things right again. The idea is Biblical, in a sense. God comes to earth in physical form, accepts the sins of mankind, dies, and, as a result, offers a way to escape sin and to gain eternal life. The comradery is strong once the dust settles and guns are discarded. Humans are able to empathize with one another, left with no choice but to claim a shared identity.

Whitman's poetry was not powerful enough to piece together a society fragmented by inequality. Somehow, society began piecing itself together. Nature and Time have this effect - there seem to be built-in checks and balances which promote harmony. Interestingly, violence is one of these balances.

It still puzzles me to watch Fight Club, to consider the positive results of the Civil War, to see the human body stronger after surviving a virus or disease, having developed resistance, in some cases, to the attacker. I like to think that Whitman's frustration was lessened by the healing process, but I can understand his lack of patience. There is some animal instinct within humans which encourages physical violence in response to tension. While it may not be the smartest initial response to a situation, it certainly seems to correspond well with the universe's system of natural checks and balances.

Works Cited

 

Whitman, Walt, and John Hollander. "Reconciliation." Leaves of Grass: The Complete 1855 and 1891-92 Editions. 2nd ed. New York: Library of America Paperback Classics, 2011. 453. Print.



"Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" Literary Analysis: That Voice Belongs to Me?

 

Somehow everything in my life can relate to Switchfoot or a Switchfoot song, including a college-level literary assignment. It makes me wonder how I would exist without Jon Foreman and his poetic brilliance. This feeling, however, reflects an important inner pull of Walt Whitman as he sings the song of America, the song of the mockingbird who lost its lover, the song of the ocean, the song of the hurt and dying, and the song of himself. Art reflects art - artists echo artists.

 



In the video that introduces this post (credit to Land of Broken Hearts for the video), you, audience, hear the voice of Jon Foreman. If you did not follow the link, here are the words to the poem which inspired the song:

"The voice of the sea on a moonless night
Calling, falling, slipping tides

The voice of leaky, dripping pipes
Endless, aching drops of light

Running, pushing, falling down
Always longing, always now

Silent underneath these streets
Even blood finds ways to bleed

Even rivers ways to run
Even rain to reach the sun

Even here within these means
Within this skin, within these dreams

Longing for the other shore
The world we've never been before

Restless for the infinite
With tears of saints and hypocrites

For death and life, for night and day
With blood of black and white and grey

One by one by one by one
Our rivers surge and fight and run

Until the sea of glass we meet
At last completed and complete

Where tide and tear and pain subside
And joy and laughter drink them dry."

Clearly, there is a pain that exists because humans hear, feel, touch, smell, and taste. Because humans exist, there is an infinite insatiability which pervades everything they do. The ocean (and every other existence of the galaxy) calls for the individual to sing his/her song, to echo a story which loops infinitely. Only after the individual has finished telling the story and, essentially, dies can he or she be free from suffering.

In Whitman's "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," the response to this call is described in a very personal way. Whitman, the speaker, receives the call from his Mother. No, this is not an earthly, biological mother. The call comes from Sea, a mother who is life-giving. Initially, as most kids do, Whitman ignores his mother. She quietly but agitatedly sings the song of inspiration in the background. There is an inherent fear to responding to the call, and humans often attempt to ignore it.

So what does Sea need Whitman to say to people? Well, he does not know. He becomes entranced by a happy family of birds and puts this intense emotional pull on the backburner. I can appreciate the interest in birds. Unfortunately, one of the birds fails to return after a separation from its partner.

Loss. One of the heaviest words in the English language. What the remaining bird experiences resounds the song of Sea (which the reader can assume has not stopped but is merely silenced by the present narrative). Loss is what Sea needs Whitman to talk about.

Jon Foreman recognizes this universal experience, "With blood of black and white and grey / One by one by one by one / Our rivers surge and fight and run" and does what he knows best as a method of coping...he writes about it.

The speaker has a bone to pick with this bird who has chosen to share the feeling of sorrow:

"Demon or bird! (said the boy's soul,)
Is it indeed toward your mate you sing? or is it really to me?
For I, that I was a child, my tongue's use sleeping, now I
     have heard you," (Whitman 392; ll. 146-149)

Now we have a conversation. Let us assume the speaker is Whitman. Whitman, the bird, the sea, Jon Foreman, and me - we are all in conversation with one another. This is where it gets really crazy. I was born in 1994. Foreman was born in 1976. Whitman was born in 1819. Only God knows how long Sea has been around. Yet we are all talking to one another and sharing the secret, this painful word "DEATH."

So, did I write "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking" also? No. I have written about many things though, many things about which Whitman wrote and many things about which Jon Foreman has written. I will experience death just as everyone else will experience death. The song of the sea, the song of the universe, loops through me to the next from whom it will loop to the next. It is bittersweet to know that none of us can figure out a way to avoid it but comforting to know we all share the experience.

Indeed, the call of the universe to call to others in endless conversation about what we are is a powerful emotional experience. Whitman channels his inner child in "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking," a child born into a world in which the Voice easily overtakes all voices.

Works Cited

 

Whitman, Walt, and John Hollander. "Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking." Leaves of Grass: The Complete 1855 and 1891-92 Editions. 2nd ed. New York: Library of America Paperback Classics, 2011. 388-394. Print.

"Song of Myself" Literary Analysis: Who, What and Why?

"Song of Myself" Literary Analysis:

Who, What and Why?

The 1855 publication of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass began a life-long process of adding, subtracting, revising, formatting, editing, and evolving (among other things) for the American poet. Whitman spent the entirety of his life working with a single collection of poems that began with a mere twelve and ended with a diverse collection. Perhaps the most striking, challenging, and all-encompassing literary piece from this publication is "Song of Myself." For an English student seeking to understand Walt Whitman and the time period during which he is developing as a writer, this is the place to start.

 

I am, as of January 30, 2016, studying Whitman closely for an upper level undergraduate English class - one of the basic requirements for the class is the ability to analyze literary works from selected authors (Whitman and Dickinson). This blog post is the first of several that will focus attention on the work of Walt Whitman, attempting to connect ideas while enlightening readers with my own personal interpretation of his poetry. This post could never be complete enough to cover every facet of "Song of Myself," but my goal for the post is to share a few interesting thoughts about the poem which form an informal interpretation.

 

The most obvious starting point is one of Whitman's most ambitious, most crucial poems.

 

Atop, you will see an image of Whitman from this initial publication. To give credit where it is due, the image is taken from newnownext.com, "Professor Rediscovers Lost Whitman Poem" by Alex Jung. The image itself is representative of the time period, representative of one of Whitman's favorite topics - namely, the common man - and representative of the bard's stylistic decision to group himself with said "common man."

 

The poem begins by addressing the relationship between speaker and reader:

 

"I CELEBRATE myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you" (Whitman 188; Section 1, lls. 1-3)

 

This introduction is both strikingly egotistic and intimately involved. These two descriptions of the "voice" of the poem are nice ways to anticipate what Whitman wants to do with the time he has with the reader. "Song of Myself" acts as an individual's journey of self-discovery, sometimes venturing into personal conflict and agenda, as well as a conversation with any who are willing to listen. At some points, Whitman (the speaker) is a mentor. At others, the speaker is a preacher. At others, the speaker is a warrior, adventurer, and/or lover. The speaker does not limit himself/herself to what he/she is. Toward the end of the poem when the speaker assumes the orator persona, he/she addresses the audience as if they constitute a congregation, encouraging them to stand and take control of the journey. Still, the speaker intends to guide, ensuring safe passage.

 

Unfortunately, we cannot know who, precisely, the speaker is. That's the point. Whitman's voice cuts through as all voices. The reader is just as much the speaker as Whitman is (perhaps not as longwinded but just as culpable).

 

Moving on. The WHAT. What is this long mess of a poem that talks about battles, sinking ships, slavery, politics, religions from all corners of the world, people, and, of course, grass? Well, the poem is Whitman's claim to the role of THE American poet. Who can better sing the story of the country while challenging its inhabitants to adopt the culture and reform described than Whitman? No one and everyone, according to him. Beginning with internal conflict and ending with universal harmony of the soul for the speaker, "Song of Myself" is the ultimate coming-to-terms with polarity song. In the end, the intention is recognizing the immediate value and equality of human beings, recognizing that it is okay to live and to die.   

 

In the 44th section of "Song of Myself," Whitman questions the result of the journey:

 

"What is known I strip away,

I launch all men and women forward with me into the

     Unknown.

 

The clock initiates the moment -- but what does eternity

     indicate?" (238; Section 44, lls. 2-4)

 

Perhaps what "Song of Myself" wants for the reader is not only completion but also comfort in knowing that no one truly knows what comes with the end of things, not even the wizard-behind-the-curtain poet himself.

 

One of my favorites to conclude - the WHY. Why does Whitman need to say all of these things to a reader of his time period or any time period? Surely, he intends for the Leaves to continue evolving, even after his death. I, personally, would like to think that these poems ("Song of Myself," in particular) not only contribute to the work of the American Transcendentalists and reform of the nation but also to the heartbroken young adult male, a the victim of rape, the conservative churchgoer whose best friend announces homosexuality, the teenage mother working at McDonalds, the proud feminist, the veteran actor who cannot seem to grab an Oscar, and all in between.

 

The central themes of "Song of Myself" are not limited to the upper class, educated, successful white males of the 19th century. Whitman was thinking ahead - he considered what the world would be like years later and what the reader may or may not need and drew from his own personal experiences. Reconciliation of opposites - birth and death, light and dark, peace and violence, rich and poor, acceptance and racism, free and enslaved - is something that humans from all points of history must face if they desire consolation. Just as songwriters seek success by pulling from experience and novelists craft stories and create characters utilizing information they have gathered from life experience, the poet, here, offers his conflictions and methods he uses to confront them.

 

Works Cited

 

Whitman, Walt, and John Hollander. "Song of Myself." Leaves of Grass: The Complete 1855 and 1891-92 Editions. 2nd ed. New York: Library of America Paperback Classics, 2011. 188-247. Print.