This is my favorite Walt Whitman poem because it describes me and I can personally relate to it. Basically, I like it because it talks about escaping from the world and from the people and just finding yourself. It says, "Escaped from the life that exhibits itself, from all the standards hitherto publish'd, from the pleasures, profits, conformities, which too long I was offering to feed my soul." That quote represents all of Whitman's works because he was always trying to define self. In order to do so, he had to escape the world and not give in to society to feed or define his soul. He had to go elsewhere in order to find his soul or self instead of looking through the eyes of other people. I like this poem a lot because I can take a lot of advice from it. I think that it is a good thing to get away from the world for awhile and clear all your thoughts. The world puts a lot of information into your head without you even realizing it and in a way it shapes who we are. I just find the poem very inspiring. Also the part that says, "for in this secluded spot I can respond as I would not dare elsewhere" is a very powerful quote. In this sacred place where he escapes he can finally be himself and for me that is very hard to find and even harder to do because people always seem to know something. The fact that the poem talks about just escaping and it how the poem makes it sound so easy is a little misleading, but it gives a sense of hope that it is possible. Also the quote "Strong upon me the life that does not exhibit itself, yet contains all the rest," seems to be a contradictory quote because it talks about how he escaped from the world and society, but society and the world contains things that he needs. I think Whitman is confused on who he is and we cannot really define self or really find ourselves completely because we are always growing and changing in some way, shape, or form.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Chanting the Square Deific Reflection Blog
From the very beginning of "Chanting the Square Deific," strong views about superior beings are present. The title says it all. The Square Deific refers to the points of a square representing each deity and how they're connected (Oliver, Charles M.). Whitman uses self perception, the worlds perception, and the soul to represent the different aspects that make up the idea of "self."
The first stanza is representing God (Whitman, Walt). In those lines, God has many different personalities and is very accommodating to many people with other religions; Jehovah being the first described. Jehovah is another name for Jesus(Johnson, Phillip). Then Walt Whitman goes more in depth by including "Old Brahm," which is the word used to represent the God of Hindu mythology, and "Saturnius," which is the word used to represent the God of Roman mythology(Oliver, Charles M.). So, God is only one section of this quaternity, but is powerful and unchanging, at the up most importance to religion. The fact that Kronos, the God of time, is mentioned is important because God is represented as timeless and the ultimate chooser of fate, who can change people's paths, overall affecting one's self perception. Since the stanzas explain these superior beings from the speaker's point of view, there are very different connotations that can be taken away from it. In this case, the speaker is using his self image to describe how he sees God. For instance, he mentions how God is relentless, merciless, and remorseless giving a more negative connotation on God (Oliver, Charles M.). These feelings expressed by the speaker are probably from life experiences, or the times that God was "unfair" in life.
The second stanza Christ being the second side of the square, directly connected to God. There is a different tone with this stanza because the speaker has a more positive connotation of Jesus, rather than God (Whitman, Walt). Jesus in this stanza is represented as a survivor when the speaker says, "Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again." The speakers words are powerful here because God has such negatives words to represent him, but Jesus, who is second in the quaternity is loving, and gentle, a survivor, and full of wisdom (Oliver, Charles M.).
The third stanza is about Satan, or commonly known as the devil, and makes up the third side of the square deific. Satan is described as the being who still utters his words and his being to people trying to revolt them from the ways of God and Jesus and those who have a different, more positive power (Whitman, Walt). The speaker gives Satan common perceptions, but also understands that there is a different side, one that is a little condescending of people who have struggled, in this case slaves (Oliver, Charles M.).
The fourth stanza is about Santa Spiritia, which is also know as the soul, and it makes up the fourth and final side of the square (Whitman, Walt). The soul may be the most powerful part because without this soul, one would not be able to distinguish between God, Jesus, and Satan, or give opinions and perceptions of these beings. The most powerful quote is the very end, where this general soul lives through these other three beings(Oliver, Charles M.). This soul affects "self" because it is most solid and represents life. This soul determines decisions, opinions, personality, each belonging to one's self image and how other people perceive that image. So overall, the quaternity can be represented through the soul, which represents life and affects everything that happens in life.
Johnson, Phillip. "Who Is Jehovah? Who Is Jesus?" The Spurgeon Archive. 1996. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/deity.htm>.
Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW082&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 4, 2012).
Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." CHANTING THE SQUARE DEIFIC. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892]) -. The Walt Whitman Achieve. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/247>.
The first stanza is representing God (Whitman, Walt). In those lines, God has many different personalities and is very accommodating to many people with other religions; Jehovah being the first described. Jehovah is another name for Jesus(Johnson, Phillip). Then Walt Whitman goes more in depth by including "Old Brahm," which is the word used to represent the God of Hindu mythology, and "Saturnius," which is the word used to represent the God of Roman mythology(Oliver, Charles M.). So, God is only one section of this quaternity, but is powerful and unchanging, at the up most importance to religion. The fact that Kronos, the God of time, is mentioned is important because God is represented as timeless and the ultimate chooser of fate, who can change people's paths, overall affecting one's self perception. Since the stanzas explain these superior beings from the speaker's point of view, there are very different connotations that can be taken away from it. In this case, the speaker is using his self image to describe how he sees God. For instance, he mentions how God is relentless, merciless, and remorseless giving a more negative connotation on God (Oliver, Charles M.). These feelings expressed by the speaker are probably from life experiences, or the times that God was "unfair" in life.
The second stanza Christ being the second side of the square, directly connected to God. There is a different tone with this stanza because the speaker has a more positive connotation of Jesus, rather than God (Whitman, Walt). Jesus in this stanza is represented as a survivor when the speaker says, "Many times have I been rejected, taunted, put in prison, and crucified, and many times shall be again." The speakers words are powerful here because God has such negatives words to represent him, but Jesus, who is second in the quaternity is loving, and gentle, a survivor, and full of wisdom (Oliver, Charles M.).
The third stanza is about Satan, or commonly known as the devil, and makes up the third side of the square deific. Satan is described as the being who still utters his words and his being to people trying to revolt them from the ways of God and Jesus and those who have a different, more positive power (Whitman, Walt). The speaker gives Satan common perceptions, but also understands that there is a different side, one that is a little condescending of people who have struggled, in this case slaves (Oliver, Charles M.).
The fourth stanza is about Santa Spiritia, which is also know as the soul, and it makes up the fourth and final side of the square (Whitman, Walt). The soul may be the most powerful part because without this soul, one would not be able to distinguish between God, Jesus, and Satan, or give opinions and perceptions of these beings. The most powerful quote is the very end, where this general soul lives through these other three beings(Oliver, Charles M.). This soul affects "self" because it is most solid and represents life. This soul determines decisions, opinions, personality, each belonging to one's self image and how other people perceive that image. So overall, the quaternity can be represented through the soul, which represents life and affects everything that happens in life.
Johnson, Phillip. "Who Is Jehovah? Who Is Jesus?" The Spurgeon Archive. 1996. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/articles/deity.htm>.
Oliver, Charles M. "'Chanting the Square Deific'." Critical Companion to Walt Whitman: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work, Critical Companion. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CCWW082&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 4, 2012).
Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." CHANTING THE SQUARE DEIFIC. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892]) -. The Walt Whitman Achieve. Web. 05 Apr. 2012. <http://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/247>.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Journal #29
Self is really hard to define, simply because I have not fully developed myself. I am still young and have a long way to go, so I do not think "self" can really be defined until I am in the stable years of my life. I believe that I am here for a purpose. I think that there was a reason that God put me on this Earth. I am not sure what this purpose is yet, but I think that is in the journey of finding myself. As for who I am, my name is Courtney Rose. I am currently 16 years old. I have a mom named Barb, a dad named Brian, a brother named Carson, and a niece named Brooklynn. I am a junior. I am about 5'7 and the only sport I participate in anymore is poms. My favorite color is teal blue and I do not have a favorite food. I am hard to define and hard to understand because my thinking process is different from most other people. I am different from a lot of other people too. I do not involve myself in useless drama, and I tend to be pretty quiet. I am usually quiet because I just like to take things in. I am a hard worker and easily motivated. I go after what I want and I am not afraid of the people who try and get in my way. That is just me on the outside. I believe in God and I think that he does everything for a reason, although sometimes I do not understand. I like nature, but I take it for granted most of the time and do not feel "connected" to it like authors of the time period did. I do not believe that there even is a true definition of the word self, I think that you just kind of give it your own meaning. Whatever is chosen to be done in life is the meaning you give yourself. Your decisions, morals, expectations, etc. help to form your "self" and your image.
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