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.
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