Song of Myself

“Song of Myself”, a portion of Walt Whitman’s monumental poetry collection “Leaves of Grass”, is perhaps one of his most loved poems. Whitman is considered by many to be one of the most important and influential American poets of all time and it is the beautiful and moving “Song of Myself” that helped cement his reputation. Exhilarating, fresh, epic, and modern, the poem is at its essence an optimistic and inspirational look at the world. It is also a brilliant and fascinating study in diction and wordplay. First composed in 1855, the poem seeks to capture the unique language and meanings of words of that time, while also embracing the rapidly changing world of mid-nineteenth century America. “Song of Myself” is the essential distillation of Whitman’s poetic vision, which sought to make poetry more appealing and readable by employing a free verse style and a simple form. While it was hailed as a modern masterpiece by many critics soon after its first publication, it was also far ahead of its time and was considered scandalous and obscene for its frank depiction of human sexuality and desire. Revised over the years along with Whitman’s other works, “Song of Myself” is presented here in its final form as it appeared in the “Death-Bed” edition of “Leaves of Grass”.