Wrapping up Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” was a relief. I did enjoy the read and learned a lot about Whitman from it. However, i found his style of writing to be a bit monotonous after long, and caught myself dozing off. This work makes what kind of a man he was very clear. He was in love with the world and most things about it. He states ” How perfect the earth, and the minutest thing upon it! What is called good is perfect, and what is called sin is just as perfect;” He was a humanitarian of epic proportion. Bold and deliberate in each word he wrote. Writing so made him the subject of the malicious criticism he loved.
It seems Whitman was religious but may not have claimed one his own. He did not refute any religion or religious figure but instead placed his faith in his fellow man. Reading into his philosophy gave me a little confidence and hope. I’m not sure toward what since i wasn’t looking for any.
In the same instance Whitman gives you a gut check. He asks his readers not to think of the world in terms of themselves because the world will surely continue long after their gone. One of the lines i feel exemplify this thought the best is in reference to Presidency. “He that was President was buried, and he that is now President shall surely be buried”.
I’m anxious to read more of his work just hope its a little more focused. In Leaves of Grass it seems he wrote about everything that had entered his mind.