"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes"

This quote is not just thought provoking but I think was the main theme of "Song of Myself". Throughout the poem Whitman "contradicts" himself painting pictures of diversity and difference. It is said that the "me' and "myselfs" of this poem were not just referring to Whitman, but to all Americans in our nation. And does our nation contradict itself? Of course! We contain multidues! We contain multitudes of people,places, and ideas, and thus I found Whitman's writing to be quite quentisensally American, based on the fact that he encompasses all of our diversity and all of our wonderful differences that make us a nation.

What first struck me as being quientessential American is Whitman's incorporation of the inanimate in relation to human interaction and unity, obviously it is seen most prevalent in his description/reference of grass "Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic and it means, sprouting alike in road zones, narrow zones, growing among black as among white Kanuk, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the same, I recieve them the same". Grass here represents an emblem of unity in our nation. It grows everywhere, east coast, west coast and is blind to the differences in people. It was all very "this land is your land, this land is my land". I like to think Whitman was pointing out that through all of our diversity there is an enduring theme of brotherhood and pride in a nation comprised and built on the foundation of people being diverse,and even though you might be in a blue state and I might be in a red state, the same grass runs through. That type of unity and togetherness was a very American notion to me.

Furthermore, I saw a lot of American notions in his descrption of people and life in our country. Whitman alludes to the life of many different Americans all in a couple of stanzas "The farmer stops by the bars of a Sunday and looks at the oats and rye, the lunatic is carried at last to the asylum, a confirmed case..the jour printer with gray head and gaunt eyes wroks at his case". Here is where Whitman most strongly illustrates the diversity of America. From what I interpret, a small time farmer, someone who is mentally ill, and a disatisfied, overworked labourer. All of these examples paint portraits of America and further along the notion that we ( as a collective body of people in this nation) contain multitudes. I feel that is all the analyzing I can do on this point, maybe there is more to it but just on the surface it oozes quintessential American elements without even taking into consideration it's more deeper, philosophical meaning.

Last, I want to touch on the notion of trandentalism and its role in this poem. Compared to Emerson's transdaentalist writing, I see many simlilarites here. I took trandentalism as something very focused on gaining understanding/catharsis/meaning through your spirtual state and through focusing on the individual, as opposed to seeking those things through an institution or system.Whitman states that "I have said the soul is not more than the body, And I have said that the body is not more than the soul, and nothing, not God, is greater to one than one's self is". To me, that passage alluded to elements of transdentalism. There is a lot of focus on the indivudual, your soul, your body being most important to you, and not even God. I am not sure, but I would think transdentalists would be somewhat against organized religion, and maybe with this passage Whitman is trying to state that the individual should seek introspective understanding rather than understanding through the insitution of religion. That might be a long shot, but I think there is something said here about the relation of man and religion/dvinity.
-Chloe