Walt Whitman: Leaves Of Grass

I first heard of this poem in the popular TV drama "Breaking Bad". I have always wondered what the actual poem about and this project gives me a chance to read it and analyze it. Them poem is very short and descriptive. It seems as if he is praising himself, and finding himself as as person. He mentions his soul telling him to,"come." This gives me the impression that he is very self-conscience. I had to use the help of Cliff Notes to fully understand the poem. They pointed out some key themes in the poem. One was "The Body and the Soul" which he thought that we could comprehend the soul only through the connection of the body. To Whitman, all matter is as divine as the soul. Another theme is Nature. Whitman shares the Romantic poet's relationship with nature. To him nature is divine and an emblem of God. A last theme I want to touch on is the theme of Death. Whitman deals with death as a fact of life. Death in life is a fact, but life in death is a truth for Whitman. My first reaction when I read the poem though, was that , for some reason, he was writing about a connection that he has with another woman. I believe that I conceived that thought because when many people think about loving another person, they call them their "soul mate." I do see where the poem is relating to the connection of the body and the soul. Whitmans poem is very deep and provokes thought of the reader. I really enjoyed the overrall theme of the poem which is" Finding ones true self." because I think that in order to really enjoy life, you must find who you really are and what makes you happy.