Song-of-Myself

SongofMyselfSyllabus--Backgroundinformation--Commentariesofothers--Theme--SectionanalysisBackgroundinformationIthasbeencreditedas“representingthecoreofWhitman’spoeticvision.”Thepoemwasfirstpublishedwithoutsectionsasthefirstoftwelveuntitledpoemsinthefirst(1855)editionofLeavesofGrass.ThefirsteditionwaspublishedbyWhitmanathisownexpense.Inthesecond(1856)edition,WhitmanusedthetitlePoemofWaltWhitman,anAmerican,”whichwasshortenedto“WaltWhitman”forthethird(1860)edition.Thepoemwasdividedintofifty-twonumberedsectionsforthefourth(1867)editionandfinallytookonthetitle“SongofMyself”inthelastedition(1881-2)Followingits1855publication,“SongofMyself”wasimmediatelysingledoutbycriticsandreadersforparticularattention,andtoday,remainsamongthemostacclaimedandinfluentialpoemswrittenbyanAmerican.Publicacceptancewasslowincoming,however.Socialconservatives（保守派）denouncedthepoemasfloutingacceptednormsofmoralityduetoitsblatant(公然的)depictionsofhumansexuality.•In1882,BostondistrictattorneythreatenedactionagainstLeavesofGrassforviolatingthestate’sobscenitylawsanddemandedthatchangesbemadetoseveralpassagesfrom“SongofMyself.”CommentariesofothersANewCommentonSongofMyselfwrittenbyZHUHua(SichuanNormalUniversity)--SongofMyself,anissueoflongdebateinAmericanliterarycircleseversinceitspublication,provestobeagreatrealisticpoemratherthananapocalypticalpieceofmysticism,whichreflectsthelifeofAmericantimes.Thethemeofdemocracyandnationalismrunsthroughthewholepoem.Itsgrandstructure,itssweepinghistoricalpictureanditspanoramiclandscapeofAmericamakeitanAmericanepicthatenjoysgreatfameintheliteracycirclesoftheworld.OntheConsciousnessof“EcologicalSelf”EmbodiedinWhitman’sSongofMyselfwrittenbySongGe(NanyangNormalUniversity)--SongofMyself,therepresentativepoemofthiscollection,usesNatureasthesettingtocelebratetheself.Whitman’sselfabsorbstheessenceofbothspaceandtime,thereforebecomesanimmortalselfconsistingofhuman,natureandpiety.HisconceptofselfrevealstheoriginalconsciousnessofEcologicalSelfthatisexpressedinDeepEcologyinthe20thcentury.WALTWHITMAN’SVIEWOFNATURE-ANECOCRITICISMOFSONGOFMYSELFwrittenbyLIJian-feng(ForeignLanguageInstituteofSouthwestUniversity)--HerespectstheearthasFatherandtheoceanasMotherandcompareshimselftoabladeofgrass.Human,inhisview,isequalofalltheotherlivingbeingsintheworldandtheyformaunifiedecologicalsystem.HeadvocatesRousseau’sregressiontonatureandsingsforasimpleandwildlife.ThethemeofecologypermeatedinWhitman’sSongofMyself,andthesignificanceoftheharmonybetweenManandNatureinanattempttoenhancetheenvironmentalawarenessofthepublic.ThemeInmyopinion,SongofMyselfwastheconcentrationofLeavesofGrass,confirmingitsepicaspectandWhitman’suniqueperspectiveandunusualartisticcomposition.Fundamentally,SongofMyselfisasongoffreedom,democracy,equalityandlove.Itshowspoet’sphilosophicalandreligiousthinkingoflifeandcosmicinventory.AlsothereismarkedtranscendentalisminSongofMyself.Itincarnatestheprocessofmysteriousexperienceofatranscendentalist.•AchildsaidWhatisthegrass?fetchingittomewithfullhands;/HowcouldIanswerthechild?Idonotknowwhatitisanymorethanhe./Iguessitmustbetheflagofmydisposition,outofhopefulgreenstuffwoven./OrIguessitisthehandkerchiefoftheLord,/Ascentedgiftandremembrancer（纪念品）designedlydropt,/Bearingtheowner'snamesomewayinthecorners,thatwemayseeandremark,andsayWhose?/OrIguessthegrassisitselfachild,theproducedbabeofthevegetation./OrIguessitisauniformhieroglyphic,/Anditmeans,Sproutingalikeinbroadzonesandnarrowzones,/Growingamongblackfolksasamongwhite,/Kanuck,Tuckahoe,Congressman,Cuff,Igivethemthesame,Ireceivethemthesame./Andnowitseemstomethebeautifuluncuthairofgraves.TenderlywillIuseyoucurlinggrass,/Itmaybeyoutranspirefromthebreastsofyoungmen…Sectionanalysis—sectionsix•一个孩子说：草是什么呢？他两手满满地摘了一把送给我，/我如何回答这个孩子呢，我知道的并不比他多。/我猜想它必是我的意向的旗帜，由代表希望的碧绿色的物质所织成。/或者我猜想它是神的手中，一种故意抛下的芳香的赠礼和纪念品，/在某一角落上或者还记着所有者的名字，所以我们可以看见并且认识，/并说是谁的呢？/或者我猜想这草自身便是一个孩子，是植物所产生的婴孩。/或者我猜想它是一种统一的象形文字，/它的意思乃是，在宽广的地方和狭窄的地方都一样发芽，/在黑人和白人中都一样地生长，/开纳克人、塔卡河人①、国会议员、贫苦人民，我给予他们的完全一样,/我也完全一样地对侍他们。/现在，它对于我。好像是坟墓的未曾修剪的美丽的头发。/卷曲的草哟！我愿意待你以柔情，/你或者是从青年人的胸脯上生长出来的…•①开纳克人，加拿大人之别称；塔卡河人，弗吉尼亚人之别称。ItmaybeifIhadknownthemIwouldhavelovedthem,/Itmaybeyouarefromoldpeople,orfromoffspringtakensoonout/oftheirmothers'laps,/Andhereyouarethemothers'laps./Thisgrassisverydarktobefromthewhiteheadsofoldmothers,/Darkerthanthecolorlessbeardsofoldmen,/Darktocomefromunderthefaintredroofsofmouths./OIperceiveafterallsomanyutteringtongues,/AndIperceivetheydonotcomefromtheroofsofmouthsfornothing./IwishIcouldtranslatethehintsaboutthedeadyoungmenandwomen,/Andthehintsaboutoldmenandmothers,andtheoffspringtaken/soonoutoftheirlaps./Whatdoyouthinkhasbecomeoftheyoungandoldmen?/Andwhatdoyouthinkhasbecomeofthewomenandchildren?/Theyarealiveandwellsomewhere,/Thesmallestsproutshowsthereisreallynodeath,/Andifevertherewasitledforwardlife,anddoesnotwaitatthe/endtoarrestit,/Andceas'dthemomentlifeappear'd./Allgoesonwardandoutward,nothingcollapses,/Andtodieisdifferentfromwhatanyonesupposed,andluckier.•假使我知道他们，我会很爱他们，/或者你是从老年人、从很快就离开了母亲怀抱的婴儿身上生长出来的，/而在这方面你便是母亲的怀抱。/