Specimen Days selection

SPIRITUAL CHARACTERS AMONG THE SOLDIERS

I don't know if this is what Whitman is talking about when he describes a certain characteristic, a calmness in some of the soldiers he observes, but I often see this or have experienced this among those people who are the least fortunate in life. In some ways they don't seem aware of this or maybe they measure happiness with a different ruler, but they carry themselves with a quiet pride, a contentedness and a peace that I can only be a bit envious of. I wonder where that kind of calm strength is gained from. Where can I learn that? Walt wonders about “whatever circumstances” lend to the nature of these “different” soldiers he is speaking about. It was the men from the western territories, who probably faced more hardships than those living in the civilization of the east, who probably lacked an education or had very little at least, that were the ones who exhibited this nature. This is similar to the people that I have seen exhibit these precious qualities in this century. Maybe not the same details, but very similar circumstances are shared between these groups of people.

These “different” soldiers are the ones who are also “apt to go off and meditate and muse in solitude.” Something that Whitman advocates and which he does in “Song of Myself.” He contemplates himself and his connection to the world around him. Need I mention “loafing”? He brings up the idea of awareness, how others perceive these men and the idea of self-awareness, even asking, “as to that, who is aware of his own nature?” It is difficult to assess oneself, to see oneself as others see you and to figure out what you believe to be your nature, let alone before considering others' perception of yourself. Nowadays everyone thinks they know exactly who they are, just look at facebook, blogs and dating sites. Mostly people are “awesome-sauce,” while struggling for a legitimate, comparable adjective that could sum up just how cute and clever they are. Perhaps shunning modesty in Whitmanian fashion they list and proclaim their wonderful qualities in a public display of ego masturbation, yet the idea of getting to nature and quietly observing, practicing introspection is completely avoided all too often in the modern day.

I thought it was refreshing that Whitman takes the idea of not knowing oneself as commonplace and normal. I think it is the opposite of our views now, where we seem to feel that we have a grasp on ourselves or even if we don't it is scary to admit, and we'd rather go on pretending we know ourselves inside and out. It is refreshing to see proclaimed as fact, in a rhetorical question, “ who is aware of his own nature?” It is nice to see the idea of musing and meditating advocated.

The idea of self is certainly explored in Leaves of Grass. After all, one whole large, significant portion is titled, “Song of Myself” The idea of self spans to that of the reader and beyond that to everyone in this poem. And it doesn't stop there. Whitman proclaims that we all share the same atoms. He even exalts the dead because (for one reason) they are part of the cycle, they feed the earth, and the earth and nature are equated as part of us and as god, just as we are part of all of it and thus part of god as well. Pretty Zen Walt!