Favorite Whitman Poem

I did not read through all of Whitman's poems but a specific one caught my eye. The poem was called "To You." This poem was short and very simple but it had a way of making you think. He speaks about two people that are strangers. If one person wants to say hello and meet the other than why shouldn't he? And if you want to speak up to the other person then why not do it?

I think this poem holds a lot even though it is so short and simple. In society it is not the most common thing to do to just stop while passing somebody to talk to them. In fact I can't think of a time I've seen someone randomly and just decided to talk to them. But why is this? If you see someone that looks interesting or looks like your kind of person then why not say hi? Most people wouldn't because this is considered "weird." The person you start to talk to would label you as nosey or too friendly. The world should not be this way. Being friendly is one of the best things you can do and if you feel like doing something, such as talk to someone, then why not do it? I think this is what Whitman is trying to say in this poem. Society should not get to decide on what we do and what we don't do. If you want to do something even though it is not considered normal then you should just do it anyways. Do what makes you happy or do whatever you have the urge to do. I think this is what Whitman was trying to say in these few short lines.

I really enjoy this poem because the first time you read through it you don't really think much of it. But then it starts to process and you realize it really is genius. Why don't people do things that they want to do? This type of situation happens pretty much everyday.

Whitman, Walt. "To You." The Walt Whitman Archive. Ed Folsom & Kenneth M. Price. Web. 17 Apr. 2012.

Chanting the Square Deific

This poem by Walt Whitman describes the Square Deific. The square is made of four speakers. (Huff) This poem by Walt Whitman is written in four sections and each is told by a different speaker. The point of views were from God, Christ, Satan, and the soul or Santa Spirita.

Based on the ideas of the Christian church God and Christ are one in the holy trinity. But Whitman describes in the first stanza as the merciless God being a strict ruler. He punishes the people relentlessly. God has no mercy for the sinners and they will be punished. Most think God as being forgiving but Whitman goes against this idea. The second section describes Christ or Jesus as being the gentle, nicer side of God. (Huff) Jesus brings happiness to all and helps them out with the sadness in their lives. He takes the pain away and is understanding towards those who sin. Christ is mightier than the unforgiving God because he is selfless. He is the savior and donates his own life in order to save the people, this makes him mightier. The third section is spoken by satan. This is the bad, rebellious part of the "square." Satan is the opposite of the father in the square. The last part of the square is the Holy Spirit. The Santa Spirita is all the parts of the square in one. "and though he completes the square he also contains all the other sides." (Whitman) Because the spirit is all in one it is the most powerful.

According to Whitman to find who your true self is you need to know your soul, how you think of yourself, and how others see you. In "Chanting the Square Deific" Whitman describes different religious ideas. This poem proves the Whitman did not go along with one religious idea. He holds the ideas of christianity but shifted it into a different way. He goes against the idea of the Holy Trinity and thinks the three Gods are not one all completely one. He only believes that the Holy Spirit holds the other two spirits within. Christ and God are very unlike. Since Whitman has this expressed in the poem he holds the trait "soul" which is one step he says he need in order to figure out his true self. The whole last section of the poem speaks about soul. The soul holds everyone's spirit therefore, it holds Whitman's spirit. Because of this Whitman is on his way of finding his true self.

Huff, Randall. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." The Facts On File Companion to American Poetry, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2007. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.

Whitman, Walt. "Chanting the Square Deific." WhitmanArchive. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.

Journal # 29

Soul, how I see myself, and how others see myself all make up my true self according to Whitman. Without all three of these things you can never fully understand what you are like and what kind of person you are. To figure out myself I must analyse these three ideas and then I will be able to know my true self.

Soul: I grew up in a Catholic family. Every Sunday we go to church. My whole family celebrates all the holy holidays that the Church says we must celebrate. God is a big part of my home life. We pray before meals and before we lay down to sleep. I believe God is around me all the time no matter where I am. Since I believe this I want to live the way God wants me to. I will follow his commandments and live every day by his word.

Self: The way I see myself may be different than the world may see me. But, I will tell you how I feel about myself even if this is not what others think. I believe that I tend to stick out in a crowd. I think I am pretty weird and I am not really into fitting in with the latest trends. I feel like not going along with what my peers think. I stay away from the dramatic people and the mean people. In high school there are a lot of bullies and I do everything I can to not be a person like that. I try to be nice to everyone and I see myself as someone easy to talk to and someone that can always be around to give advice to those who need it. I see myself as a modern day hippie. Not like a weirdo or anything like that but just a person who tries to keep things peaceful and tries to make other people happy.

Real me: Now I cannot fully answer this question because it is hard to know exactly what other people think of me. Of course, I have heard people talk about me or someone tells me compliments to my face but, the things people say may not always be good. People may think I'm weird but that doesn't phase me to much. Others tell me I am a really good friends and trustworthy. I guess it all depends on what the other person's true self is in order for them to decide what they think of others.