✦ Class 12 English Poetry · Bihar Board

Song of
Myself

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman's celebration of the self — a joyful, expansive poem that declares the equality of all human beings, the divinity of the body, and the unity of the individual with nature and the cosmos.

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Walt Whitman, 1870
Walt Whitman 'People's Poet' · 1819–1892
The Poet

Walt Whitman (1819–1892)

The 'people's poet' — perhaps the most individualistic literary figure America has ever produced.

Walt Whitman portrait

Walt Whitman (1819–1892), the 'people's poet', is perhaps the most individualistic literary figure that America has ever produced. He began working as a carpenter before his twelfth birthday. He also worked as a printer, teacher, and editor, and was a volunteer nurse during the Civil War.

Whitman's poetry, all of which is collected in Leaves of Grass, is known for its free rhythms and lack of rhyme. Whitman first published it at his own expense in 1855. However, the free form of the poems and the joyful dedications to the 'importance of the individual' were not well received at first. In fact, his collection of poems cost Whitman his job, as it was taken to be obscene.

In 1881, after many editions, Leaves of Grass finally found a publisher willing to print it uncensored. Translations of this collection were enthusiastically received in Europe, but Whitman remained relatively unappreciated in America. It was only after his death that he could win appreciation in America for his original and innovative expression of American individualism.

His important works include Leaves of Grass (1855) and Drum Taps (1866).

👤
Full NameWalt Whitman
🎂
Born1819
🕯️
Died1892
📚
Major CollectionLeaves of Grass (1855)
✍️
StyleFree verse · Lack of rhyme · Individualism
📖
PoemSong of Myself
Quick Overview

Summary

Concise overview of the chapter.

Song of Myself is one of the most expansive and celebrated poems in American literature, written by Walt Whitman. The poem celebrates the self, the body, and the interconnectedness of all life.

The speaker opens with a bold declaration: "I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume, / For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." This is the poem's central idea — that all human beings share a common essence.

The speaker observes the world with wonder — the grass, the sky, animals, children, workers, soldiers, mothers, slaves. He finds beauty and dignity everywhere. He doesn't rank or judge; he embraces all of life as equally sacred.

In one of the most famous passages, the speaker says: "I am the poet of the Body and I am the poet of the Soul." For Whitman, the body and soul are not opposed — they are one. Physical pleasure and spiritual ecstasy are parts of the same experience.

The poem rejects shame, guilt, and hypocrisy. Whitman praises the body, sexual desire, and honest emotion. He criticises those who are ashamed of natural things. "The scent of these arm-pits is aroma finer than prayer," he writes.

Above all, the poem celebrates democracy and equality. Whitman writes about ordinary people — farmers, mechanics, boatmen — with as much respect as rulers and philosophers. For him, every person is a miracle.

The poem ends with a vision of death as returning to the earth — not an ending, but a transformation. "I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love."

Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself; I am large, I contain multitudes. — Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself"
The Text

Song of Myself

Walt Whitman's celebration of the self, from Leaves of Grass (1855).

Stanza 1 I Celebrate Myself

1I celebrate myself, and sing myself,
2And what I assume you shall assume,
3For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.
4I loafe and invite my soul,
5I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.
6My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air,
7Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,
8I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin,
9Hoping to cease not till death.
10Creeds and schools in abeyance,
11Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,
12I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,
13Nature without check with original energy.

The poem opens with one of the most famous lines in American literature: "I celebrate myself, and sing myself." The speaker declares that he is not different from others — "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." He lounges and invites his soul, observing a single blade of summer grass. He traces his lineage back through generations, born of the same soil and air. He is thirty-seven years old and in perfect health, hoping to continue until death. He sets aside creeds and schools of thought — not forgetting them, but holding them in abeyance — and permits nature to speak with original energy.

Stanza 2 The Perfumes and the Atmosphere

14Houses and rooms are full of perfumes, the shelves are crowded with perfumes,
15I breathe the fragrance myself and know it and like it,
16The distillation would intoxicate me also, but I shall not let it.
17The atmosphere is not a perfume, it has no taste of the distillation, it is odorless,
18It is for my mouth forever, I am in love with it,
19I will go to the bank by the wood and become undisguised and naked,
20I am mad for it to be in contact with me.

The speaker contrasts the artificial perfumes of houses and rooms — which could intoxicate him, but which he refuses — with the pure, odorless atmosphere of nature. He is in love with the atmosphere; he wants to go to the bank by the wood, become "undisguised and naked," and be in direct contact with nature. This is a declaration of his preference for natural experience over artificial society.

Stanza 3 The Body and the Soul

21The smoke of my own breath,
22Echoes, ripples, buzz'd whispers, love-root, silk-thread, crotch and vine,
23My respiration and inspiration, the beating of my heart, the passing of blood and air through my lungs,
24The sniff of green leaves and dry leaves, and of the shore, and dark-color'd sea-rocks, and of hay in the barn,
25The sound of the belch'd words of my voice, words loos'd to the eddies of the wind,
26A few light kisses, a few embraces, a reaching around of arms,
27The play of shine and shade on the trees as the supple boughs wag,
28The delight alone, or in the rush of the streets, or along the fields and hill-sides,
29The feeling of health, the full-noon trill, the song of me rising from bed and meeting the sun.
30Have you reckon'd a thousand acres much? have you reckon'd the earth much?
31Have you practis'd so long to learn to read?
32Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems?
33Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems,
34You shall possess the good of the earth and sun—(there are millions of suns left;)
35You shall no longer take things at second or third hand, nor look through the eyes of the dead, nor feed on the spectres in books,
36You shall not look through my eyes either, nor take things from me,
37You shall listen to all sides and filter them from yourself.

The speaker catalogues the sensations of his body — breath, heartbeat, the smell of leaves and sea-rocks, the sound of his voice, kisses and embraces, the play of light on trees, the feeling of health. He then challenges the reader: Have you reckoned a thousand acres much? Have you practised so long to learn to read? Have you felt so proud to get at the meaning of poems? He invites the reader to stop with him and possess the origin of all poems — to listen to all sides and filter truth from oneself, rather than taking things at second or third hand.

Stop this day and night with me and you shall possess the origin of all poems. — Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
Quick Revision

Key Themes — Song of Myself

Six ideas that shape Walt Whitman's expansive poem.

🙋 The Celebration of Self

The poem begins with "I celebrate myself, and sing myself." The self is not the ego — it is the universal self, shared by all. Every atom belonging to the speaker belongs equally to the reader.

🤝 Equality and Democracy

"Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." The speaker insists that all human beings are made of the same soil and air, born of the same ancestors. This is the foundation of Whitman's democratic vision.

🌿 Nature as Source of Energy

The speaker loafes and observes "a spear of summer grass." He prefers the odorless atmosphere of nature to artificial perfumes. He wants to become "undisguised and naked" and be in direct contact with nature's "original energy."

💪 The Body and the Soul

Whitman celebrates the body as much as the soul. He catalogues the sensations of his body — breath, heartbeat, blood, kisses, embraces, health — as sacred and divine.

🚫 Freedom from Creeds and Schools

"Creeds and schools in abeyance." The speaker sets aside religious beliefs and systems of thought — not forgetting them, but refusing to be bound by them. He permits nature to speak with original energy.

📖 The Origin of All Poems

The speaker invites the reader to "stop this day and night" with him and possess "the origin of all poems." True knowledge comes not from books or second-hand experience, but from listening to all sides and filtering truth from oneself.

Assessment

Test Your Understanding

Multiple choice · Fill in the blanks · Short answer. Everything is drawn from the poem above.

🧠 Part A — Multiple Choice

Choose the best answer for each question. Click Check Answers at the end to see your score.

Score: — / 0

✏️ Part B — Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence on the basis of the poem. Type your answer, then click Check Answers.

Score: — / 0

📝 Part C — Short Answer Questions

Think through your answer first, then click Show Model Answer to compare.

Textbook Exercises

Complete Exercise Bank

All questions from the Bihar Board Class 12 English Poetry textbook — with answers and model responses.

B.1.1 Write T for True and F for False

Read the following sentences and write T for true and F for false. Click to reveal the answer with explanation.

aThe poet enjoys himself and sings for the self.
True (T). The poem opens: "I celebrate myself, and sing myself." The poet rejoices in himself and sings for the self.
bThe speaker is different from others.
False (F). The speaker insists that he is not different: "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." He shares the same atoms, the same soil, the same ancestry with all.
cThe poet discards nature's beauty.
False (F). The poet celebrates nature. He loafes and observes "a spear of summer grass," is in love with the atmosphere, and wants to become "undisguised and naked" to be in contact with nature.
dEvery atom of blood is the same in all human beings.
True (T). The poet says: "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." All human beings are made of the same soil and air.
eThe poet is associated with a particular school of thought.
False (F). The poet says: "Creeds and schools in abeyance" — he sets aside religious beliefs and systems of thought, refusing to be bound by any particular school.
fThe poet has overcome his greed.
Not stated directly (F). The poem does not mention greed specifically. It focuses on the celebration of self, equality, nature and freedom from creeds.

B.1.2 Answer the Following Questions Briefly

1Who is the speaker in this poem?
The speaker is Walt Whitman himself, or a persona representing the universal self. He speaks in the first person and addresses the reader directly, inviting the reader to share his experience. He is thirty-seven years old, in perfect health, and represents all of humanity.
2How old is he?
He is thirty-seven years old. He says: "I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin."
3Why does the speaker use 'you' twice?
The speaker uses 'you' to address the reader directly and to establish a relationship of equality. In line 2, "what I assume you shall assume" — he invites the reader to share his perspective. In line 3, "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you" — he asserts that the reader and he are made of the same substance. The 'you' makes the poem inclusive and democratic.
4What is meant by 'Nature without check with original energy'?
'Nature without check with original energy' means nature in its pure, unrestrained form — free from artificial constraints, rules, or human interference. 'Original energy' refers to the primal, creative force of life. The speaker permits nature to speak freely, with its own raw power, without being checked or limited by creeds, schools, or social conventions.
5What is the theme of the poem?
The central themes of the poem are: (1) the celebration of the self — not the ego, but the universal self shared by all; (2) equality and democracy — every atom belongs equally to all human beings; (3) nature as a source of primal energy and truth; (4) the divinity of the body and the senses; (5) freedom from creeds and schools; and (6) the importance of direct experience over second-hand knowledge.
6How does the speaker establish relation between 'me' and 'you'?
The speaker establishes the relation between 'me' and 'you' by asserting their fundamental equality. He says: "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you." He traces his ancestry — born here of parents born here, and their parents the same — implying that the reader shares the same human lineage. He invites the reader to "stop this day and night" with him and possess "the origin of all poems." The 'me' and 'you' are not separate — they are one.
7What does he observe in summer?
He observes "a spear of summer grass." He loafes and leans at his ease, watching this single blade of grass, which represents the simple, enduring beauty of nature.
8What has formed the speaker's blood?
The speaker's blood is formed from "this soil, this air." His tongue and every atom of his blood are made of the earth and the atmosphere. He is literally a child of nature.
9What does he hope to do?
He hopes to continue living and celebrating himself until death. He says: "Hoping to cease not till death." He wants to keep singing, celebrating, and experiencing life until his final breath.
10What does he want to do with creeds?
He wants to hold creeds and schools "in abeyance" — that is, to set them aside temporarily, to suspend them. He does not forget them, but he refuses to be bound by them. He wants to let nature speak with "original energy" instead of being limited by religious beliefs or systems of thought.
11What does he want to speak about?
He wants to speak about nature — "Nature without check with original energy." He permits himself to speak "at every hazard," for good or bad, about the raw, primal energy of life and the natural world, free from the constraints of creeds and schools.

C.1 Long Answer Questions

Prepare detailed answers. Click to reveal model responses.

1Give a summary of the poem.
Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" is a celebration of the self, of equality, and of nature. The poem opens with the famous line "I celebrate myself, and sing myself," and immediately establishes that the speaker's atoms belong equally to the reader. The speaker loafes and invites his soul, observing a spear of summer grass. He traces his lineage to the same soil and air, and declares himself thirty-seven years old and in perfect health. He sets aside creeds and schools, allowing nature to speak with original energy. In the second stanza, he contrasts artificial perfumes with the pure, odorless atmosphere of nature, which he loves. He wants to go to the bank by the wood, become "undisguised and naked," and be in contact with nature. In the third stanza, he catalogues the sensations of his body — breath, heartbeat, smells, sounds, kisses, embraces, health — and challenges the reader: Have you reckoned a thousand acres much? He invites the reader to stop with him and possess the origin of all poems, to listen to all sides and filter truth from oneself. The poem is a joyful, expansive declaration of the self's unity with all things.
2What similarities does the poet draw between two human beings?
The poet draws several similarities between human beings. First, he says: "every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you" — all human beings are made of the same physical substance. Second, he traces his ancestry: "Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same" — all humans share a common lineage. Third, his blood is formed from "this soil, this air" — the same earth and atmosphere that nourish all people. Fourth, the grass grows "among black folks as among white" — nature treats all equally. The poet's vision is profoundly democratic: all human beings are fundamentally equal and share the same origin and substance.
3Explain the line: 'Hoping to cease not till death'
The line "Hoping to cease not till death" means that the speaker hopes to continue living, celebrating, singing, and experiencing life until the moment of his death. He does not want to stop — he wants to keep going, to keep being himself, to keep celebrating the self and nature, until his final breath. It expresses his exuberant vitality and his love of life. He is thirty-seven years old, in perfect health, and he intends to make the most of every moment he has left.
4Comment on the subjectivism (personal feeling) in the poem.
The poem is intensely subjective — it is spoken in the first person, and the speaker's personal feelings, sensations, and thoughts are at its centre. "I celebrate myself, and sing myself" — the self is the subject and object of the poem. The speaker describes his own body, his own breath, his own heartbeat, his own pleasures. Yet this subjectivism is not narrow or egotistical. Whitman's self is a universal self — it includes the reader ("what I assume you shall assume"), and it includes all of humanity ("every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you"). The personal becomes universal. The poem is a celebration of the individual, but the individual is understood as a part of the whole of humanity and nature.
5Why does the poet not want to bother himself with 'Creed and schools'?
The poet does not want to bother himself with "Creeds and schools" because he wants to experience life directly, not through the filter of organized religion or systems of thought. He holds them "in abeyance" — suspended, not forgotten — but he refuses to let them limit his vision. He wants nature to speak with "original energy," uncontaminated by human dogma. Creeds and schools divide people; nature unites them. The poet's goal is to get back to the raw, primal sources of truth and life, which are available to everyone, regardless of education or religious affiliation.
6What does the poet mean by 'Nature without check with original energy'?
'Nature without check with original energy' means nature in its purest, most unrestrained form — nature that is not controlled, limited, or shaped by human rules, beliefs, or institutions. 'Original energy' refers to the primal, creative force that animates all life. It is the energy of birth, growth, desire, and death. The poet wants to let this energy speak freely, without interference from creeds and schools. He wants to experience life at its most raw and authentic, in direct contact with the natural world, rather than through the artificial filters of civilization.

C.2 Group Discussion

Discuss the following in groups or pairs.

  • We dress ourselves not to impress others but to please our 'self'.
  • Failures and success are temporal.

C.3 Composition

Write a short essay in about 150 words on the following.

  • Religion does not teach hatred.
  • Life is a grand battle.

D.1 Dictionary Use

Look up a dictionary and write two meanings of the following words — the one in which it is used in the lesson and the other which is more common.

Qassume · observe · form · cease · school · harbour
assume: (lesson) to suppose something is true; (common) to take on a responsibility or appearance.

observe: (lesson) to watch carefully; (common) to notice or to celebrate an occasion.

form: (lesson) to shape or create; (common) a document or a type.

cease: (lesson) to stop; (common) to come to an end.

school: (lesson) a system of thought; (common) a place of education.

harbour: (lesson) to keep a feeling or thought in mind; (common) a safe place for ships.

D.2 Word-formation

Select five words from your day-to-day life and add the suffix '-ing' to them to form new words.

QForm new words by adding '-ing'.
read → reading
walk → walking
think → thinking
write → writing
learn → learning

D.3 Word-meaning

Write the antonyms of the following words and use them in your sentences: perfect, cease, hope, permit, original.

QWrite antonyms and use them in sentences.
perfect → imperfect
My sentence: The copy was imperfect, so the teacher asked for it again.

cease → begin
My sentence: The concert will begin at 7 p.m.

hope → despair
My sentence: She never gave in to despair.

permit → forbid
My sentence: The rules forbid using mobile phones in the library.

original → copied
My sentence: The painting was a copied version of the original.

E. Grammar — Reflexive Pronouns

Supply related reflexive pronouns in the following list.

QPronoun → Reflexive Pronoun
I → myself
We → ourselves
You → yourself / yourselves
They → themselves
She → herself
He → himself
It → itself
Ex 2Construct meaningful sentences with the help of the following verbs. Do not forget to use reflexive pronouns after the verbs: enjoy, serve, absent, help, control.
enjoy: She enjoyed herself at the party.
serve: He served himself some rice.
absent: The student absented himself from class.
help: You should help yourself to the snacks.
control: He could not control himself when he heard the news.

F. Activities

Ex 1Interview at least five of your classmates and try to find out: (a) What do they do when they are very happy? (b) What do they do when they are very sad? (c) What do they do when they are very angry? Write a comprehensive report in about 250 words.
Report: How My Classmates Handle Their Emotions

I interviewed five of my classmates — Priya, Rahul, Sneha, Arjun, and Kavya — to find out how they behave when they are happy, sad, and angry. The results were interesting.

When they are very happy, most of them like to share their happiness with others. Priya calls her best friend. Rahul plays his favourite music and dances. Sneha treats herself to ice cream. Arjun goes for a long run. Kavya writes in her diary. Common activities included smiling, laughing, talking more than usual, and spending time with friends.

When they are very sad, their responses varied. Priya prefers to be alone and listen to sad songs. Rahul talks to his mother. Sneha cries and then feels better. Arjun goes for a walk to clear his head. Kavya reads a book to distract herself. Most of them wanted some time alone or with a close friend.

When they are very angry, most of them try to control themselves. Priya takes deep breaths. Rahul goes for a run or exercises. Sneha counts to ten. Arjun listens to loud music. Kavya writes down what she is feeling. Most agreed that talking about it later helps more than reacting immediately.

The survey showed that while everyone experiences emotions differently, most people have similar ways of managing them — sharing joy, seeking comfort, and finding healthy outlets for anger.

📚 Glossary & Notes

Key words from the poem with their meanings.

  • celebrate (v): rejoice, have a good time
  • assume (v): accept that something is true, suppose
  • loafe (old spelling): loaf (modern spelling), wander
  • lean (v): take support, rest
  • spear (n): mast, spike, top point
  • creeds (n): religious beliefs
  • schools (n): systems of thought
  • in abeyance (phr): suspended, withheld
  • sufficed (v): to be enough
  • harbour (v): believe, keep feelings or thoughts in mind
  • hazard (n): peril, danger