One of the
reoccurring themes we have discussed this semester is the depiction of race in
19th century American literature. In “Song of Myself,” Whitman
presents three different relationships personal relationships or interactions with slaves. In Section 10,
Whitman writes that he welcomes an injured slave attempting to escape into his
home and helps him regain his strength, which suggests that he supports and is complicit
in helping slaves gain freedom in the North. While Whitman presents himself as
an emotionally distant caregiver and ally to slaves in Section 10, he describes
his more personal sexual attraction to a black man in Section 13: “The sun
falls on his crispy hair and mustache, falls on the black of his polish’d and
perfect limbs. / I behold the picturesque giant and love him” (290-291). Whitman
admires the black man’s body, which may suggest that he views race as
irrelevant in his sexual desire. However, Whitman also describes himself in
this passage from the perspective of a white man observing or overlooking a
black man (presumably a slave) working, which implies Whitman’s superiority.
Finally, in Section 33, Whitman declares, “I am the hounded slave” and “I
myself become the wounded person” after describing the physical pain he endures
and wounds he exhibits (837; 845). Through his writing, Whitman describes himself
as occupying the physical and mental state of a slave experiencing brutality
and violence. Although “Song of Myself” may imply that Whitman rejects slavery
and develops a gradually more intimate relationship with slaves (to the point
where he himself is a slave), the
poem does not provide us with a coherent understanding of Whitman’s views on
slavery.
In the critical article, “Slavery and Abolitionism,” Martin Klammer attempts to provide an explanation for the seemingly self-contradictory attitude the
writer presents toward slavery. While “Song of Myself” does not
take a radical stance for or against slavery, Klammer reveals that some of
Whitman’s writing opposed abolitionism and implied that blacks were inferior to
whites. In his critique, Klammer ultimately concludes that Whitman’s attitude toward slavery is inconstant because it changes according to political and
historical context. Writing in the 1840s-60s, Whitman was aware that his
writing would be perceived as projecting his personal political views. This was
likely dangerous in a time in which the country was engaged in a national,
heated debate over slavery. Whitman’s Leaves
of Grass, in which he presents a somewhat sympathetic view toward slaves, was
published following Northerners’ ignition of anti-slavery sentiment. While I
perceived Section 33 of “Song of Myself” as revealing Whitman’s physical and
mental identification with slaves, Klammer argues that it “reveals how Whitman’s
portrayal of slaves could also serve his political purposes, especially his
opposition to the Fugitive Slave Law, which was based, in fact, not on sympathy
for slaves but on what he felt was the unwarranted intrusion of federal
authority in a local matter.” Whitman attitude toward slavery may have been
primarily concerned with promoting his idealized view of American democracy
(rather than defending African Americans’ right to freedom).
Klammer’s
article reveals that social issues discussed in 19th century writing
were inherently politicized. Whitman’s own thoughts about race (and sexuality,
as we discussed in class) are intentionally inconsistent and unclear because Whitman
was aware of his public political persona and how his writing could be used as both
his own tool of self-expression and as a weapon against him.
I agree--Whitman's specific politics are quite difficult to pin down precisely because he wants at once to speak for all of America, to create sympathy in all or at least many readers, and to speak for a more ideal America. And, as we know, he's happy to embrace contradiction.
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