Here we find Whitman talking about being naked; this is no
surprise anymore. He is blending with the nature of the sea and sand along with
the nature of himself. He needs to get down to the essence of himself in order
to understand the essence of nature – the ocean. He lives through the sensory –
through the physical responses to what is out there. The sound of the crashing
waves, the white frothy trim folding back into retreating waves, the salty
smell- all permeates his being. The strongest and most filling reactions for
Whitman are through the senses. While Whitman lolls about the gray sands, he
shouts at his companions who are in “deeper water.” This is reminiscent of the
28 bathers in Song of Myself – how natural it is to roam naked. I found it
interesting that the steamer he was on was named after “Plymouth Rock,” a
historic location of Americana, but also an idealized (false) interpretation of
history. Whitman, a man who cared about preserving the union, has an air that
is very “American,” (whatever one understands that to mean.) A mode of mechanic
transportation has the name of something that is essentially a natural object –
a rock. Boat names can get pretty weird: http://www.namethatboat.com/popular-boat-names.htm
and usually represent a person or a “trait” of the boat. To be named “Plymouth
Rock” assumes that this steamer takes the riders to uncharted territory- to
land that they must go discover for themselves (hopefully not as negatively as
the Mayfield).
No comments:
Post a Comment