Transcendentalism In Walt Whitmans A Song Of Myself

The school of thought that is transcendentalism is best explained as the idea that everything is connected. America, as a country, represents the philosophy of Transcendentalism. This is best exemplified in the writing of Walt Whitman. In his poem, â€Å"A Song of Myself†, Whitman truly heralded a new brand of American exceptionalism. He championed the individual and created a work that exemplified the common man as the pillar of the American dream. Yet he also explained that Americans are what make up the county and the culture. The country could not be as great as it is without the people it contains and the incredibly resilient spirit that is present throughout every American inhabitant. In the fifteenth stanza of â€Å"A Song of Myself†,†¦show more content†¦The ability of nature is just as â€Å"astonishing† as the ability of man and they are connected. Whitman could not have written the words of â€Å"A Song of Myself† without the incredible feats of nature just as the actions of nature could not be admired as feats without men like Whitman and the transcending appreciation of nature in American culture. Whitman’s definition of transcendentalism also seems to include multiple facets of the self. â€Å"I am large, I contain multitudes.† (1066 Textbook) This idea is incredibly supportive of the idea of the American dream. America was conceived with a promise that anyone and everyone can be successful and follow their dreams. Whitman is aware that throughout â€Å"A Song of Myself†, there seem to be contradictions. But they are arguably not contradictions at all. Rather they are an example of how America can be a land of opportunity for people as no one should be defined in one way. This is especially exemplified in lines 344-348 in the poem as the speaker lists careers that seem to be opposite of each other, like both a teacher and a learner or a prisoner and a lawyer. Yet these short lines prove Whitman’s belief in the American dream and one’s freedom to pursue it at any stage in life. In the transcendentalist America, one is capable of being anythin g they want to be as they contain the abilities of their entire country and maybeShow MoreRelatedWalt Whitmans Influences1411 Words   |  6 PagesWalt Whitman’s influence to American Literary History After the Civil War, Walt Whitman realized that the American people were in need of their own identity. Therefore, he wrote the book â€Å"Leaves of Grass† with the goal of creating a literature piece that was authentic and organic to the United States in every sense. 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