Animals and vegetables! if I realize you I have satisfaction (pt.3 A Song for Occupations, To Think of Time, The Sleepers, I Sing the Body Electric)

In the first poem of this entry, "A Song for Occupations", Walt Whitman writes about the simplicity of things with a patriotic undertone. In a way his patriotism almost resembles that of a car commercial, the way he name drops states and the middle class to almost appeal to nationalists. He also uses literary devices that he is very well known for such as repetition of words such as were, if, and is, and also the imagery he creates towards the end of the poem in describing jobs. This poem really stands out as the one that is specifically focused on work. I personally didn't like this poem as much as others. I sometimes get tired of Whitman's nationalism but I don't get tired of stanzas such as, "We consider the bibles and religious divine...I do not say they are not divine, I say they have all grown out of you and may grow out of you still, It is not they who give the life...it is you who give the life; Leaves are not more shed from the trees or trees from the earth that they are shed out of you" (Whitman, 169). That so much is all I have to say about the first poem in this entry. In Whitman's poem, "To Think of Time" Whitman talks about the unavoidable topics of life, death and immortality. He speaks like a poet and stays true to his nature of repetition and imagery. He tells the story of a mans death and many others in the same sense in his poem. I really just felt this poem was a typical time passing poem and it just seemed like Whitman was saying what many others have said. However, Whitman was one of the first poets of his kind and its possible that I am jaded by poets that are in fact copying Whitman. "The Sleepers" may be my favorite so far out of Whitman's poetry. In it Whitman becomes some sort of entity that moves from dream to dream, bedroom to bedroom, and shows the more personal side of dreams and souls. Whitman speaks of how our souls are connected through dreams and that when asleep, our empathy is most deep for each other. He also notes the diversity among humans with the variety of personalities he writes about. I personally feel that when Whitman is writing about the human soul he writes with the most clarity. The last poem I'm writing about is, "I Sing the Body Electric" . This poem is all about the connection of the soul and body and is considered one of Whitman's most controversial poems because of its "erotic" content. Its all about celebrating yourself and your body as a temple. Later on the a song from the movie Fame uses this title for one of the most well known songs in the movie. The song, like Whitman's poem is about celebrating yourself and in a sense just being the best you you can be.