Peace Through Self Reliance And Carpe Diem - 923 Words

Peace Through Self-Reliance and Carpe Diem Walt Whitman, a democratic poet, celebrated himself and his connection with the world by writing â€Å"Song of Myself† in 1855. According to Eric Forsythe, â€Å"Throughout the poem, Whitman probes the question of how large the new democratic self can become before it dissipates into contradiction and fragmentation, and each time he seems to reach the limit, he dilates even more† (Forsythe). The poem shaped the idea of what it meant to be an American, by bringing citizens together. It also foreshadowed the Civil War, which began in 1861, through a symbol of grass. In â€Å"Song of Myself,† Whitman’s themes of individualism and carpe diem developed from the transcendentalist movement. The transcendentalist movement developed in the late 1820s and 30s in the Eastern region of the United States. Transcendentalism is defined as equal men and women containing knowledge about the world around them. However, this knowledge comes through imagination, instead of logic. A concept from this movement describes how Americans trust themselves to be their own authority through ethics. A transcendentalist accepts these ideas not as religious beliefs but as a way of understanding life. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a transcendentalist and poet, urged Americans to stop looking to Europe for inspiration and to be themselves. He believed that everyone possessed natural goodness and potential. Henry David Thoreau practiced transcendentalism as well when he went to WaldenShow MoreRelatedThemes Of Individualism And Carpe Diem Developed From The Transcendentalist Movement898 Words   |  4 Pagespoem, Whitman probes the question of how large the new democratic self can become before it dissipa tes into contradiction and fragmentation, and each time he seems to reach the limit, he dilates even more† (Forsythe). The poem shaped the idea of what it meant to be an American, by bringing citizens together. It also foreshadowed the Civil War, which began in 1961. In â€Å"Song of Myself,† Whitman’s themes of individualism and carpe diem developed from the transcendentalist movement. The transcendentalist