SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT: Read Walt Whitmans poem Song of Myself. http://www.daypoems.net/poems/1900.html (click link below). By write a 350-400 word essay that conveys your impression of this poem. You are encouraged to offer your own insights, but might consider some of these thematic questions: What is Whitmans view of the individuals place in the larger world and in the universe? What is Whitmans attitude toward nature? How does the poets view of nature compare with his view of human society? What is Whitmans view of love, sex and the procreative impulse? What is the purpose of the poets mixed use of concrete and abstract language? How does Whitman use allusions to historic events? How does Whitman respond to the burning racial issues of his time? What mysteries is the poet seeking to understand? How does this text relate to current issues of interest to you and your generation?
