Journal #30 - My Favorite Whitman Poem

My favorite Whitman poem, of all the ones I have read thus far, is probably To A President. After searching through poem after poem, I stumbled upon this one and was kind of drawn in. It addresses the President, none specifically, so it is easier to relate to not only presidents back in Whitman's time, but also today. Basically, Whitman goes ham on the president and tells him is fraud. He promises "danged mirages", and fails to give the American public any hope for the future (Whitman). I think it is interesting to hear Whitman's side of view on politics in this poem because Whitman addresses Nature in the poem. He says that the president needs to learn of the politics of nature before he goes tangling himself in political nature. This statement can be taken in a lot of ways in my opinion. Understanding the politics of nature is not specifically limited to mother nature but also of human nature and self. A President, if allowed the opportunity to run a country of people, needs to understand the nature of humans, how humans tend to act in certain situations, what their likes and dislikes are, and so on. I think that is very important to think about when it comes to politics. If a man in Congress tries to act like he knows what is best for the public, but fails to even know the nature of the public, all of his efforts are in vain. Whitman explains that "the great amplitude" of nature is important in grasping for the president, but unfortunately we as a society are quick to judge political figures and see them as being big-headed and arrogant.

Overall I liked the poem. It was different from all the other poems of his I read. I think he focused a lot of love and all of that cheesy stuff. It was nice to see a poets view of politics because not often do we see a mixture of politics and literature.

Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." TO A PRESIDENT. (Leaves of Grass [1891-1892]) -. Ed Folsman. Web. 18 Apr. 2012.

Reflection Blog: Chanting the Square Deific

"Chanting the Square Deific" by Walt Whitman strongly reflects the ideas Whitman has on variety of notable figures. He comments throughout the poem on God, Christ, Satan, and "Santa Spirita", or soul. Instead of seeing the holy Trinity as a such, Whitman portrays this idea through a "quaternity" (Oliver). Each stanza focuses on a different entity as Whitman further's his spiritual side of writing.

In the first stanza, the speaker becomes God (Oliver). God portrays himself a relentless God with the power to decide one's fate (Whitman). He describes himself as a variety of beings, most notably Jehovah or Kronos (god of time) (Whitman). Whitman demonstrates in this stanza the power that the Christian God holds. He is the Almighty and reiterates the fact that God is not the person to mess with, or the wrath of God will surely be felt (Oliver).

In the second stanza, Christ is revealed (Oliver). Christ sees himself as a god better than God himself. He feels he is the individual who bears all of the sin and extends a rather gentle hand toward humanity (Oliver). "Many times I have been rejected," says Christ (Whitman). He feels he was put on earth to bear the sin of man. This strong connection with Christianity portrays the understanding Whitman has of the Trinity, or rather the "quternity" in this case. As Christ is portrayed throughout the bible, a man who suffers so much for humanity, but does it for the good will of mankind, a somewhat feeling of little recognition is given to the humble being. His "wisdom will never die" as Christ says, and is further justified throughout the Christian church today (Whitman).

The third stanza, Satan is identified as the antagonist of the infinite quad. He is portrayed throughout humanity as "aloof, dissatisfied, plotting revenge". The evil being is demonstrated throughout Whitman's poem simply because Satan plays an important role between the war waged against good and evil. God's "enemy", Satan plays the role in history that has come to represent a wicked and evil being. Whitman shows the relationship that nature has with the idea of good and evil (Oliver). The overall balance keeps things in tact and running throughout the natural world.

The fourth and final stanza is the most peculiar and odd one out of the entire poem. The Soul, or Santa Spirita, is introduced in the finale of the poem. It basically incorporates all of the preious entities mentioned in the poem (Oliver). The main idea behind the holy Trinity is that they are all incorporated somehow, and Whitman demonstrates this through the poem.

Life of the great round world, the sun and stars, and of man, I, the general soul,
Here the square finishing, the solid, I the most solid,
Breathe my breath also through these songs.

As demonstrated in the previous lines, the Spirit uniquely combines all three of the general characteristics, or ideas, of Satan, God, and Christ. The last line of the poem suggests that Whitman sees himself as this embodiment because he helps portray the ideas of man (himself being one) with the holiness of the entire poem (Oliver).

The spiritual importance of Whitman's "Chanting the Square Deific" is important in understanding the overall connection between God, Christ, Satan, and the holy Spirit. The battle between good and evil is not as antagonistic as demonstrated in this poem specifically. The connection between the forces, or entities, helps balance the overall stigma of nature and the realm of society.

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.

Whitman, Walt. "The Walt Whitman Archive." Chanting the Square Deific. Web. 03 Apr. 2012.

Journal #29 - Spiritual Self

Who I Am:

I think that I am a pretty cool person with a lot of talent. I can sing, tell jokes, receive good grades, organize things, and much more. These talents help define who I am as a person. Because I am very studious, I tend to organize my life around this quality. I do not drink, do drugs, nor smoke. It sounds cheesy, but that is a major part of being a well-to-do student and it helps discover one's inner-self. My personality is rather different, but mostly in a good way I think. I do not let people walk all over me, and I try to refrain others from walking over anyone else. I help people when they are in need. I honestly have a hard time being mean. I cannot bully someone before it gets too be too much. Overall, I am a pretty awesome person, though it may sound arrogant and conceited, I believe that my positiveness keeps this world going.

Why I Am Here:

I think I am here to change the world and make it better. I feel like I should go out and try to do something that makes a difference in my community or school. I am at that point in my life where I really just despise anyone who does not agree with me, although I am still good at SEEING where people come from, I am not so good at agreeing with them at all. It is something that I have to work on, but see myself accomplishing in the future to set out and make a difference somewhere.

Spiritual Connections:

To be honest, I have grown somewhat distant from my church in the past two years. People are changing, friends are moving away, and the overall appeal of the church is beginning to diminish, which is extremely unfortunate on my behalf. I feel like even though I do not attend church every Saturday, I do still have a personal connection with God. I was baptized in eight grade and still try to uphold the virtues read in the baptismal vows.