On The Self In Leaves Of Grass

Walt Whitman is commonly regarded as one of America's major poets.His unique Leaves of Grass is almost universally recognized as one of the masterpieces of American literature.During his career,Whitman continuously revised,expanded,and republished Leaves of Grass.While reading closely Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass,the author of this thesis finds that there is a central Self throughout the poem.Leaves of Grass,like an encyclopedia of American life,presents a good case for exploration into the Self.The topic of the Self is old and new at the same time:old because it appeared as early as the beginning of human civilization,and has forever been discussed by countless philosophers,writers,psychologists and so on;new because the image of the Self and how to realize it change with time.Freud,Jung,Fichte,Rogers,Higgins,Seigel have defined the Self from different perspectives.Whitman's Self is of major significance in his works,and it is the organizing principle of Whitman's poetry.Whitman's Self,which consists of three layers—the Individual Self,the American Self and the Universal Self,is of indispensable importance in his poetry. These three aspects of the Self form a complete and integrated whole and cannot be separated from each other.Each has its own peculiarities, sometimes contradictory and sometimes complementary.They together constitute the complete Self of Whitman in Leaves of Grass.This thesis,to examine the Self in Leaves of Grass in details based on textual analysis,is laid out in three chapters.The first chapter probes into the Individual Self in Leaves of Grass through the analysis of the bodily Self,the spiritual Self and the union of both.This chapter provides the first layer of Whitman's Self.The second chapter is devoted to the discussion of the American Self from the dimensions of freedom, egalitarianism,and democracy,which reflect the features of American character urgent to be established at that time.America was experiencing tremendous change economically,culturally and mentally at that time.As a national poet of America,Whitman was inevitably influenced by such temperament of the time.The American Self in Leaves of Grass,to some extent,reflects Whitman's political views and his deep affection for his nation.Chapter 3,by exploring Whitman's love for life and for nature, demonstrates the highest and most comprehensive layer of the Self that is the Universal Self in Leaves of Grass,which reveals Whitman's love for human beings and everything in the natural world.In Leaves of Grass,Whitman tends to provide his readers with an utmost range to broaden their perception of the Self.In order to catch the spirit of his works,it is essential for readers to notice that Whitman cares more about the significance of the Self than the poetic expression of his language and style.