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Test Preparation
1

<p>We’re supposed to analyze this passage by Walt Whitman, but I have no idea what it means. It’s from “Song of Myself.” Any help would REALLY be appreciated.</p>

<p>Alone far in the wilds and mountains I hunt,
Wandering amazed at my own lightness and glee,
In the late afternoon choosing a safe spot to pass the night,
Kindling a fire and broiling the fresh-killed game,
Falling asleep on the gathered leaves with my dog and gun by my side.</p>

<p>The Yankee clipper is under her sky sails, she cuts the sparkle and scud,
My eyes settle the land, I bend at her prow or shout joyously from the deck.
The boatmen and clam-diggers arose early and stopped for me,
I tucked my trouser ends in my boots and went and had a good time;
You should have been with us that day round the chowder kettle.</p>

<p>I saw the marriage of the trapper in the open air in the far west, the bride was the red girl,
Her father and his friends sat near cross-legged and dumbly smoking, they had moccasins to their feet and large thick blankets hanging from their shoulders,
On a bank lounged the trapper, he was dressed mostly in skins, his luxuriant beard and curls protected his neck, he held his bride by the hand,
She had long eyelashes, her head was bare, her coarse straight locks descended up her voluptuous limbs and reached to her feet.</p>

<p>The runaway slave came to my house and stopped outside,
I heard his motions crackling the twigs of the woodpile,
Through the swung half-door of the kitchen I saw him limpsy and weak,
And went where he sat on a log and led him in and assured him,
And brought water and filled a tub for his sweated body and bruised feet,
And gave him a room that entered from my own, and gave him some coarse clean clothes,
And remember perfectly well his revolving eyes and his awkwardness,
And remember putting plasters on the galls of his neck and ankles;
He stayed with me a week before he was recuperated and passed north,
I had him sit next me at table, my firelock leaned in the corner.</p>

2

<p>Consider the author and the title. The excerpt describes Whitman’s experience in the wilderness and the comforts he receives from hunting and witnessing marriage. You can identify his compassion when he “assures” and helps a runaway slave to recuperate. Whitman’s works can be traced from Romanticism; he expresses the heroic qualities and admiration for nature you would normally find consistent of the time period. This reflective passage by Whitman provides an intimate glimpse into his detached lifestyle and ability to abandon contemporary racial views. This again emphasizes the whole idea of “Song of Myself,” in that communion and brotherhood should be sought. He explores this idea through his own form of detached meditation and through these two specific instances. He subtly hints at indistinguishable identification in the universe by choosing to relish in common pasttimes and further proving his point by illustrating his acceptive and willing regard to understand other cultures. His consolatory attitude toward the slave shows no immediate concern (as seen by his factual though comforting tone) but suggests his insight for a future America where each man can learn to admonish the delicacy of existence, as this particularly reflective passage demonstrates. By not being judgement, and hinting at important issues, Whitman proves self-reliance will prevail.</p>

<p>From the passage, and what I can recall from “Song of Myself,” this is how I perceived it. This should give you enough insight and perception to effectively analyze it.</p>

3

<p>thanks, your response was similar to mine. lol. After working through it, I realized Whitman’s “message.” Most of his poems do romanticize common people- “I Hear America Singing”</p>

<p>But thanks anyway, your response reinforced my opinions.</p>