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.