Brief Questions in Walt Whitman poems

Answer

Brief Question in Walt Whitman’s poems

• What is “Song of Myself”?

Ans: “Song of Myself” is the longest and most important poem in Leaves of Grass.

• What is the theme of “Song of Myself”?

Ans: The poem celebrates the self, nature, and American democracy.

• How does the poem begin?

Ans: It begins like an epic, where the poet sings of himself and all mankind.

• What does the “spear of grass” symbolize?

Ans: It symbolizes the creative power of nature.

• How can true knowledge be acquired, according to Whitman?

Ans: True knowledge comes through communion with nature.

• What is Whitman’s attitude to sex?

Ans: He believes sex is natural and not evil.

• What does sexual union symbolize?

Ans: It symbolizes unity in diversity and spiritual oneness.

• Why is the poet proud of his body?

Ans: He is proud because his body is strong, clean, and pure.

• How does Whitman show equality of body and soul?

Ans: He says both body and soul are equally important.

• How does Whitman become a believer in democracy?

Ans: He believes all people are equal as children of one God.

• How does the poet realize the immortality of the soul?

Ans: The growing grass on graves shows life continues after death.

• What does the young woman of twenty-eight stand for?

Ans: She stands for the poet’s soul, unseen by ordinary men.

• What does the young woman watch from her window?

Ans: She watches twenty-eight young men bathing near the sea.

• What is the meaning of “unscrew the locks from the doors”?

Ans: It means removing barriers that separate human souls.

• What does Whitman believe as a democrat?

Ans: He believes in the equality and dignity of all men.

• Whose voice would Whitman become?

Ans: He would speak for slaves, the poor, and the suffering.

• What is Whitman’s idea of eternity?

Ans: Time is endless and has neither beginning nor end.

• How can a man be a hero, according to Whitman?

Ans: A man becomes a hero by showing sympathy and kindness.

• Why is the poet not afraid of death?

Ans: He knows death is not an end but a new beginning.

• Where does the poet invite his readers to go?

Ans: He invites them to join him on a spiritual journey.

• What does the “spotted hawk” symbolize?

Ans: It symbolizes the poet’s wild and free soul.

• What is the basic symbol in the poem?

Ans: The “I” is the main symbol representing the poet and humanity.

• What is Whitman’s idea of the immortality of the soul?

Ans: The soul joins the Divine Soul after death.

• Where and when does Whitman behold God?

Ans: He feels God’s presence everywhere and every moment.

• What does Whitman mean by “en masse”?

Ans: It means equality and brotherhood among all people.

• How many sections are there in “Song of Myself”?

Ans: The poem has fifty-two sections.

• How does grass symbolize democracy?

Ans: Grass grows everywhere, showing equality among all people.

• What is “the handkerchief of the Lord”?

Ans: Grass is called God’s handkerchief, a green gift of life.

• Where does Whitman behold God?

Ans: He sees God’s presence in every place and time.

• How many sections are there in the poem?

Ans: There are fifty-two sections in the poem.

• How does the poet’s self gain a cosmic dimension?

Ans: His self expands to include all living beings.

• How does the poet ensure his immortality?

Ans: He unites with the Divine and lives on through his readers.