Among his many influential works, including “O Captain! My Captain!,” “I Sing the Body Electric,” and “Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking, “Song of Myself” stands out as Whitman’s masterpiece. Reflecting the incredible diversity of the United States itself, “Song of Myself” shifts easily from personal narrative to reams of data, from erotic fantasy to musings on religion and morality. While “Song of Myself” received a lukewarm reception at best in Whitman’s lifetime, it is now recognized by literary scholars as one of the greatest American poems.

In its final form, the poem is divided into 52 sections, thought to represent the 52 weeks of the year. It was not until the 1881 edition that it acquired the title “Song of Myself,” as well as the section breaks which most modern publications include. In the second edition, it was called “Poem of Walt Whitman, an American,” which was shortened to simply “Walt Whitman” in the third edition. In its original iteration, it did not have a title. Lidabel A.“Song of Myself” underwent several major structural changes over the years.Kyle Navratil on The Most Important Word: Hermeneutics.

Jessica Bansbach on Perspective Writing/Reading in Poetry.Thinking back to Whitman’s quote, his statement on one contradicting him or herself also refers to how one should be flexible to embrace changing meanings of their art, which I thought was interesting. I found that while writing “미안해/I’m sorry” that its explorations of alienation from one’s birth culture, language or family aim to explore bigger themes such as the intersectionality of language. He does not seem to be rooted in reservations about contradicting himself, rather simply accepting the fact that people will be flexible beings whose views change over time. The very tone of the Whitman quote is almost nonchalant, unwieldy, and non-academic for such an accomplished poet. Our views might change from one moment to the next, and as we write a poem, we might discover that its original meaning, intent and narrative might not fit the poem we are attempting to forge. What I do remember, is thinking that people are inherently flexible beings.

I’ll admit, I don’t know the context of Whitman’s quote nor do I remember the specifics of Nate Pritts’ lecture that led to this quote, because it simply says that quote in my notes. “Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself”

Walt whitman do i contradict myself