Walt Whitman and the Modern Democratic Song

Walt Whitman consciously set himself apart from Europe in order to write poetry deemed distinctly American and the muse, more or less, would oblige. But Whitman could only set himself apart so much; for example, he wrote poetry in the English language, a language derived from Europe.

As the industrial revolution and the modern era would begin in Europe then become transplanted in America, so would the individual consciousness that first arose in Europe (see the previous blog, May 22) become transplanted to take an American form. The poem "One's Self I Sing" opens the final version of Leaves of Grass as follows, somewhat misconfigured:

One’s Self I Sing
One’s-self I sing, a simple separate person,
Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse.

Of physiology from top to toe I sing,
Not physiognomy alone nor brain alone is worthy for the
Muse, I say the form complete is worthier far,
The Female equally with the Male I sing.

Of life immense in passion, pulse, and power,
Cheerful, for freest action form’d under the laws divine,
The Modern Man I sing.